Pain Pain

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. ~M. Kathleen Casey

Angel had her immunization on Monday.

“Was it painful?” I asked.

“Nope,” she declared proudly. “But my class monitor actually cried! He is a boy, you know, and boys are supposed to be brave! But he cried!”

I giggled.

Since the end of last year, Angel had somehow found out that she would need to be immunized in Primary One.

“Mummy, can I stay in Kindergarten Two?” she had pleaded.

When I found out the cause for her concern, I decided to prepare her for the experience instead of putting it off.

“Injection is not as painful as you think,” I began.

“So it isn’t painful?” she probed.

“Not really. It is a little painful but not that painful,” it’d be wrong to lie to her that jabs are painless.

“So it IS painful,” she muttered.

“Yes, it is, but only a little,” I tried again.

“How little?” she cocked her head to a side.

“Like an ant’s bite,” it seems to be a universal answer.

“How painful is an ant’s bite?” it dawned on me that she had never been bitten by an ant before.

“Oh well, a little painful,” I was getting a little desperate.

“How about you demonstrate on my arm by pinching me?” she was suddenly inspired.

I tried pinching her softly on her arm.

“Chey! It’s not painful at all!” her face brightened.

“It will be a little more painful than that. I dare not pinch you too hard, you see,” I made an effort to explain.

“So it IS painful,” her face turned dark again.

I was on the verge of breaking when an idea struck me.

“Mummy caned you before right?” I started, “Was it painful?”

“Yes,” she admitted meekly.

“So, injection is less painful than that!” I congratulated myself on the brilliant effort.

“Really?” she sounded a little more convinced.

I nodded my head forcefully to reassure her.

“But when you caned me, it was VERY painful, you know,” she stated matter-of-factly.

Anyway, the discussion on this topic continued to surface once in a while throughout the year and each time she was more rest assured.

I was really glad that she had overcome her fear and even a little amused that she was chiding about her classmate at this instant.

However, my giggles stifled when she continued, “Oh yes, mummy, you cried too when you were having your jab in Primary One too right?”

Ouch.