When my girls were little, my mother gave them an infant washcloth, fashioned into the likeness of a rabbit. It held pieces of ice in the folds, and was used to sooth away little hurts. We called it a “boo-boo bunny.” Fast forward to my grandbabies, and you’ll find a little square bean bag of sorts in the freezer that I provided, covered in kid-pleasing fabric and filled with “beans” that hold in the cold for long enough to sooth those same little hurts. Lilli calls it the “boo-boo buddy.”
Last night, as we were reading books, she kept fidgeting with her foot. When I asked her what was wrong, she pointed to her ankle, to a tiny little scratch, and then she said…
“Sometimes when you’re hurting you need a boo-boo buddy.”
Then she apparently (and surprisingly) was fine and asked for another book. But I wasn’t.
After a wonderful day with my oldest granddaughter, Valé, it turned a different direction with a surprising and hurtful run-in with someone I don’t know well. Even though I was not at fault, and had done nothing wrong, I still felt somehow responsible for how the incident affected those around me. That, on top of my usual conflicted heart over leaving to go home (this morning), found me in a world of hurt.
I climbed into bed last night, watching that little curly head across the room. I wondered if she’d had any inkling of my aching heart, if she knew that I needed some soothing when she shared her wisdom. Regardless, I was thankful as I turned myself over to the care and comfort of my own Boo-Boo Buddy.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…” Revelations 21:4 ESV
“Give all your worries and cares to God, because He cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NLT
“When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 94:19 ESV