If I could put all that I feel into words, your heart would not be able to contain all that I have to share.
You’ll never know how lucky you are, to be able to see your beloved’s face throughout the day.
It’s been just over two years since my daughter’s facial wound appeared, and for the most part, her face was covered with bandages/scabs for most of the day.
At most, if I’m brave enough, I get to see her face for a maximum of 10 minutes a day. I’d love to keep her bandages off for a little longer, but the thought of her ripping off the bits of skin beginning to reappear makes me nervous.
Most days, I simply redress the wound. Most days I forget what my daughter’s face looks like. Most days, I barely get to touch her skin. Sometimes, if she’ll let me, I manage to kiss the little bit of skin peeking through her face mask/bandage, but otherwise that priviledge isn’t silky mine for the taking, except when I’m washing her, and that doesn’t really count because, though we try not to, we end up hurting her in the process anyway.
I mean, it’s not like we intentionally pull her skin off or anything. But when her bandages have shifted due to the everyday friction of her pants rubbing against it, and her wound dressing has come loose without our knowledge, and her pants got stuck to her wound instead, there’s no way of knowing we’ll hurt her…until we actually do.
But our butterfly is so forgiving, so loving, so compassionate.
And in those moments that we get to see her face, we can’t help but gasp at the beauty and innocence hidden behind the bandages. My heart swells just thinking about seeing her face again.
And as for her sister, the gift of not having to cover her face is not lost on me. I look at the little one, and just the sight of her brings me to tears. For 2+ years, I wasn’t able to gaze at the beauty of my first born without worrying that the exposure could cause her wounds to become infected, and with our latest addition, I gaze at her beauty, grateful for this simple, everyday gift my Lord has given me.
Bandages or no bandages, we’ve been gifted with these two amazing daughters who are beautiful inside and out. I know the bandages are necessary for wound healing, but I look forward to those moments when I’m able to take in the beauty of her face, as bright and radiant as a full moon in the desert sky.
