THANK YOU, GOD!!!

Today is a day I won't soon forget, but I wish I could. The kids and I were in the kitchen enjoying a perfectly nice Friday afternoon when Jack began choking on a piece of Easter candy. It is a sound and vision I cannot get out of my head....I saw him pop the candy into his mouth and he kind of sucked it back into his throat and then I heard him gasp and saw his eyes get huge. He immediately grabbed at his throat and I knew he was in serious trouble. I pulled him off of the chair he was on and immediately started performing the Heimlich maneuver. At one point I was able to free the candy but Jack started to cry and sucked it back into his throat. After what seemed like an eternity of doing the Heimlich, I rushed him outside and yelled for my brother-in-law Jason. I frantically pounded on Jason's back door, all the while still doing the same maneuver when finally the egg-shaped candy flew out of his mouth and onto the ground. I have never gone from one emotion to the next so fast in my life. From sheer terror to utter relief in a split second. As I was performing the Heimlich and staring at my son who was turning blue, I just kept thinking to myself, "I cannot live without this child, please God, help me do this!!!" And HE did. THANK YOU, GOD!!! Uncle Jason came to the door mere seconds after the candy was dislodged and I am so thankful he heard us and came to help. It is good to have family nearby, especially when you really need help and we've called on them quite a few times and they've never let us down. I thank God for our families too. I still cannot calm my nerves and feel very drained but I am so grateful for my beautiful son and the fact that he is healthy and safe. It feels so good to know I was able to help my child when it really counted. I was afraid I'd go to pieces but God kept me calm and focused and able to think clearly enough to do what I needed to do. I pray I will NEVER have to go through that again. I threw out EVERY piece of candy in our home and he won't get anymore until he's eighteen!!! You think I'm kidding, don't you? I'm not!