Getting By With a Little Help from (My) Friends

Paris may be a rather large city, but the expat community here is fairly close-knit. When something new or noteworthy happens, word spreads like wildfire. Such was the case last week when a friend phoned to inform me that the baby boy of one of the local moms was deathly ill and in the hospital. "They almost lost him," were the words that made my blood run cold and I pulled my children close to me in an embrace that was a little bit longer, a little bit tighter than usual when I hung up the phone. As a mother, nothing gets to me more than a tale of tragedy, neglect, abuse, etc. where the victim is a child.


The child in this case is the only boy of 5 siblings and not even a year old. With my friend and her husband spending most of the past week in the hospital, some of their close friends put out a call to those of us in the neighborhood to provide childcare, do some shopping or cook up a warm meal.



I volunteered to do dinner duty for them tonight and whenever else it may be needed. For dessert, I baked a batch of cupcakes as I tend to think of them as a comforting treat in a time of trouble. Just as important as the taste, I wanted them to look good so my friend would have something pretty to come home to after so many hours spent in the cold, sterile hospital environment.

And for the kids still at home, I was thinking of something whimsical and fun -- this must be such a terrifying experience for them.



Last week, I joked about cupcakes helping to find a cure for cancer. If only life could be so simple. This post is dedicated to my friend's son, Baby P, who has been in my thoughts and in those of so many people this past week. I hope he is back home soon where he belongs, and I wish him a long, happy and above all, healthy life -- something all of our children deserve.



RELATED LINK : The Lost Book Cupcake Competition