Friday, April 04, 2014

Perspective


Having unwisely given the impression in my previous post (before correcting it) that Grandson was being much more bouncy than he actually was, I got one perfectly nice comment from a bloggy friend who obviously felt slightly worried for the lady behind him and one rather less nice one from an anonymous commenter - which I deleted because it's my blog and I can.

I tend to feel that people who read my blog know me and can therefore read between the lines, but of course this isn't really the case. Or - it is to some extent. I've met quite a few bloggy friends now and they've all been lovely, just like their blogs. But blogs, though they may be more or less true, are not the whole truth. We are actually quite shy people. I often feel that we may have brought up our children to be more repressed and to think of other people more than is compatible with getting on in the real world. We certainly never allowed them to make a noise in public places and annoy others - not that they ever showed much tendency to do so. They are all kind and considerate. They, and we, probably get walked over a bit.

Pictures tell only half the story. This is Grandson yesterday and yes, we are very blessed to have him. But what you can't tell from the picture is that he has a terrible cold and cough, is having to use his puffer because of wheezing and that his body is covered in itchy eczema. He currently has to wear a special tight suit covering his entire body under his pyjamas at night so that the cream with which he's slathered stays on and he can't scratch and make himself bleed.

I read blogs because I'm interested in the writers' lives and feel warmly towards them. If I weren't and I didn't, I wouldn't read their blogs. It's odd, though salutary (and I suppose obvious) to to realise that there are those out there with different feelings.

Or maybe he or she was just having a bad day.


17 comments:

  1. oh no, eczema is a curse for little ones ... all that itching and nothing to stop it! my younger son still has it, although it has gotten better as he's got older

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh poor chap, Pittsburgh Girl would sympathise so much and would have been envious of the suit, she had nothing like that. Luckily the asthma passed her by. Sending hugs to the wee chap.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'd have to say more adults annoy me when I'm out and about (how rude are some people?)than children (who generally are just being children). Hope your boy feels better soon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, the poor little fellow...I feel so sad to see children using those puffers these days. What have we done to our world that makes children need those things at such a young age? I don't remember kids having breathing problems when I was at school in the fifties and sixties, certainly not as common as it seems to be these day.
    And eczema as well - is it too much to hope that he will 'grow out' of it as he gets older? I know nothing about kids' ailments apart from what I hear from friends who are parents and grandparents.
    As for N being bouncy - what happy kid isn't? As long as the parent in charge can explain just how far they are allowed to 'bounce', no harm is done! Some of those anon blog lurkers are just the pits. Good on you for deleting that comment - I would do the same!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Eczema is horrid. Poor chap. Small children are allowed to bounce, within reason and the bounds of safety. Adults are much more annoying. Two ladies of an age to know better, whispered and rustled about in their handbags all through a concert we went to the other day, much to our annoyance thouhh we politely said nothing. I would have deleted the comment too. This is the third instance ofunpleasant commenting I've read this week - do people think they're being clever by witholding their names?

    ReplyDelete
  6. You should feel proud of your lovely family and I`m sure both grandchildren are delightful small people to be around. A childhood without bounce is no childhood......

    Sorry to hear that Grandson is an asthma/eczema child. It`s miserable when they go together, as they so often do. I do hope he grows out of it as the years go by.

    ReplyDelete
  7. poor little guy! sure hope he is better soon! he's a real sweetie, and so is his sister, from the looks of the pics. you're a lucky grandma!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Poor chap, such a smart looking, well behaved boy. I didn't think anything wrong with the bouncy look/comments/upside down in the chair - he is a child yet with grandmother who would keep him in line properly and entertained (and loved/nutured).

    Regarding eczema. I know this is childhood malady. In my 50's and just had it come up - reason is gluten. Might be worth an experiment of elimination diet for him to see if it clears.

    Best to you and your family,
    Kitty, USA

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh for goodness sake! Are there really people who lurk around reading ordinary other people's everyday blogs, obviously with very little attention except to jump in anonymously to criticise petty apparent things about small children jumping about at Ikea?

    The on-line world has brought me such wonderful, heart-warming, treasured and honest friendship, so that I wonder what I would have done or been without it. Then there are stupid things like that.

    I suppose it only reflects the way people are anyway. Please don't be discouraged and miserable, and go on sharing the funny, endearing things you do. And I hope the eczema etc improves, I understand it often does.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Poor grandson. My oldest grandson had a lot of eczema when he was younger (he is 9 now) but has pretty much grown out of it now. And I hope it will be so for N. And I also hope that you will feel yourself surrounded by the kindness and concern of the vast majority of your blog readers and let the remarks of those who are not fitting too well in their own skins just be like water off a duck's back. Peace and joy to all your family today!

    ReplyDelete
  11. My grandaughter also gets a little eczema. and a g/son a little asthma. I found both these puzzling, altho' they seem to have become almost the norm.
    I did notice that the very popular "baby wipes" have been found to cause dermatitis in some people, and I wonder whether there are other ontemporary products that might prove to be the villains.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Poor wee fellow. How uncomfortable. Mr Life's comment about the hounds sweatshirt in your last post made me laugh.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Just to say that N's eczema seems to be responding well to his suit!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Eczema, asthma AND a cold. That is so unfair. I hope he gets relief soon.
    Mostly I have found bloggers, and those who leave comments to be lovely. And, like you, I delete the occasional oxygen thief who pops in.
    Thank you for your visit to my place.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Grrr...having had my share of nasty commenters, I know how it feels. But the good outweighs the bad so forget the grumps and smile at the nice folk!

    Poor grandson and his sleep suit. He is even more gorgeous now I know that his cheery disposition is in the face of adversity!

    Thank you for your lovely comment recently too, it made me look at my "issue" from a wider perspective. L xxx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow -- I guess because I know you in person, it didn't even occur to me that the cute picture of N in the last post implied a lack of consideration. Isn't it weird what people can interpret from what we write? Good for you for deleting the nasty comment!

    Little N is getting so BIG! At this rate, I'm pretty sure he'll be an adult before I get a little N. I sure hope the upcoming better weather (it WILL be better, won't it?) will help him feel better!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous7:21 pm

    Oh, the poor little thing! It must be beastly to itch and have a cold. Bless him.

    Good for you, deleting negative comments.

    ReplyDelete