I have thought of this many times over the years since it happened. Remembering this always reminds me to "LISTEN" when a child speaks. At the time of this incident we had three children, we were farming, I was taking kids to and from school (a 16 mile round trip) everyday, fixing meals, running errands, taking care of animals...etc. Our plan every night was as soon as the kids were in bed-we went to bed. Our plan usually worked. On this particular night Adam and I had an "I don't want to go to bed war."
I was in his room for the third time time that night. The first trip was to close the curtain, the second trip was to close the closet. This trip was for a drink of water. I was exhausted. I grabbed a Dixie cup in the bathroom and quickly filled it. I turned the light on in Adam's room and handed him the cup.
I remember clearly Adam looking at his cup then looking at me saying, "It has a bug." I laughed and told him to drink the water because I was sleepy. Again, he insisted, "It has a bug!" I didn't laugh this time...I was tired and his game to delay "lights out" was starting to make me mad. I told him to drink or I'd empty the cup and go back to my bed. For the third time he insisted, "I can't drink it mommy, it has a bug in it!" His face was red with frustration and this time there was a sound of urgency in his voice.
I'm ashamed to say it took Adam telling me three times there was a bug in his cup of water to get me to look into the cup. When I looked.... there was an earwig in the cup. I had a sick feeling in my stomach for not believing him. I think the look of disappointment in his eyes will haunt me forever.
