Kissing Cousins

Yesterday, Meg and I went to visit my Grandmother in Newnan. Grandma lives with my dad's youngest brother and his family . . . I think they have 5 or 6 people living in their house. Two of my younger cousins live at home (plus a girlfriend, I think), and one cousin other lives just a 1/2 mile away with his wife and child. It's always hustling and bustling around there . . . people coming and going throughout any visit with have with Grandma.

During our visit, the wife of my cousin that lives around the corner (keep up with me here) came over to visit with their one-year-old son. As she bounces in the door, she plops baby down, and announces . . .

"He's sick. Again. Ear infection . . . they are going to put tubes in, I think. He just keeps getting sick ever since we put him in daycare."

Immediately, I look at my precious Meg, 100% healthy and enjoying every minute of feeling good. I twinge at the idea of her even being around this Sick Baby . . . not because I don't want to see him or spend time with them, but because I don't want to see my kid catch whatever it is that's making him constantly ill.

The wife continues . . . "I'm sick, too. Can't shake this cold . . . been sick for over a week now, but I haven't gone to the doctor or anything."

Gulp.

With about 90% seriousness, I nervously laugh and say, "Well, maybe we should go . . . "

"Oh, no . . . he's not contagious at all. The doctor assured me of it. If his fever is down tomorrow, he can go back to daycare. You guys won't catch anything."

I must admit . . . I found that hard to believe. His little cheeks were so pink, he was litearlly warm to the touch, and this normally rambunctious kid was totally content to curl up in Grandma's lap and rock back and forth. The kid was SICK. Still . . . Meg doesn't tend to catch much of anything, so I figured if we just stayed a bit longer and they didn't interact, we'd be okay.

Then it got worse.

We hung around for another 15-20 minutes, then we really did need to head out to get Meg some lunch and her daily pm nap. I encourage Meg to hug Grandma bye-bye, which -- if you know my sweet huggy Meg -- turns into hugs for everyone all around. Including Sick Baby.

"Calm down," I'm telling myself. "One hug, he's supposedly not contagious, she'll live."

And then she kisses him. Meg kissed Sick Baby full on, on the mouth. I'm pretty sure he opened his mouth, too . . . Meg was a bit slimey after the encounter.

All I could do was cringe. Crikey. Even when kids AREN'T sick, swapping spit isn't the greatest idea. My first instinct was to snatch her away . . . but this was family, and my 'manners' got the better of me. I didn't do anything. I stood there and prayed that we could get out fast and that I could wash Meg's face and hands ASAP.

"Awwwww!" The cousin's wife screams. "That is the cutest thing ever!" Grandma agreed that the kids were really very cute together. Then they called for my uncle to come and see the cute kissing cousins . . . and the wife encouraged Meg and Sick Baby to kiss AGAIN.

Here is where I really should have stepped in. I should have stopped it. And I'm really VERY mad at myself for NOT stepping in. I should have stopped it from happening the first time, but letting it happen the second time was just plain STUPID on my part.

I let them kiss again. Sick Baby and my perfectly healthy baby, unknowingly spreading germs between one another while others looked on and oooohhhhed.

I'm so MAD that I didn't say what I felt. I wanted to protect the health of my child -- I wasn't being ugly or rude. I have no problems with my family or Sick Baby. By stopping the contact, I wasn't saying he was gross . . . just maybe a little too germy at the current moment to be kissing my kid.

Why didn't I? What kept me from stepping in? I don't know -- I guess I was afraid everyone would think I was too overprotective. I didn't want to be rude. But who CARES what they think? I am Meg's mom, and my # 1 job is to keep her safe. I felt terrible as I left, and I still feel terrible about it today. I feel so guilty for letting my 'manners' override what I KNOW was a better reaction to that situation. I should have stopped it.

If Meg gets sick, I'm going to feel an enormous amount of guilt. I am going to feel so bad because I could have STOPPED that from happening with a simple, "Hey, let's not have them kiss . . . contagious or not, it's not a great idea . . ." They probably would have agreed, honestly. I should have said something -- anything -- to protect Meg's health.

And, selfishly, the LAST thing I need at 36 weeks pregnant with a still-traveling husband is a child with an ear infection. But, if she does get it, I have NOBODY to blame but my stupid self.

Next time, I vow that I will step in and say exactly what I think . . . no matter where we are or who the kid is. I solemnly swear never to let this happen again. NEVER. Overprotective, rude -- I don't care what anyone thinks of me. I only care about my kids; they are the most important thing to me, not my reputation or their thoughts of me. I have learned a lesson in all of this, that is for certain. One that I will not forget.

Really . . . for all I care, anyone that has a problem with my overprotectiveness can kiss my a$$ . . . as long as they don't have an ear infection, that is.