It’s not about the Gecko
Have you ever seen those old cartoons with the steam bursting out of the ears of the character sporting the beat red face??
OR
How about in the movie White Christmas when he asks how much it was going to cost them…and the reply is somewhere between Boing and WOW!
I had a feeling that was going to be my husband when I told him the damage from the vet bill.
Let’s rewind a bit……and set the stage for Christmas. All Boo really, really wanted was a Leopard Gecko! She researched and dreamed of one day owning a leopard Gecko….and this Christmas we decided she was responsible enough. The hubs and I were so excited for Christmas morning. We planned just how he was going to go get the gecko, where we were going to store the crickets and how to hide the tank so she wouldn’t see it until Christmas morning. Ok…so all of that is really a big LIE!! We planned on getting the Gecko….she did all the research, I had not even thought about keeping the thing alive until Christmas morning!! Thank the Lord for amazing husbands who think of those things!
When Boo opened her Gecko, no other gifts mattered. You know how magical that is for a kid….to get the one gift you never thought your parents would get you. I would do anything to see the joy on her face as we did Christmas morning. Boo did everything for her gecko “Matthew”. She greeted him every morning, changed his water, cleaned his cage, made sure his lights were on and reminded dad to feed him. She was NOT touching those crickets.
Four months she took the best care of Matthew. She showed him off to her friends, her cousins and she even had her Nonna hold him!! She loved him unconditionally. Then one day she walked downstairs, crying….her Nonna close on her heels. She interrupted me in a work meeting devastated, Matthews mouth was bleeding and he was blowing bubbles. Quick thinking I jumped onto Doctor Google….Mouth Rot…Okay we can handle that…Blowing bubbles…Upper Respiratory….OH NO!! I informed my husband (as I was in a work meeting) he needed to call the vet to see if we can have Matthew seen.
Have you ever tried to find a reptile vet more specifically an “exotic” reptile vet amid a Corona Pandemic…….Yeah, I never thought it would be a thing for me either!! Thank the Lord for our Facebook County Pet Finder page! They were a huge help in locating an exotic reptile vet during a pandemic at the last minute on a Friday afternoon….and the vet could see us THAT day!!
It was only a hop, skip and a jump away…which was really a 30 minute drive. My hubs thought I was crazy. WHY? WHY, would you take a $30 Gecko to an exotic vet last minute and pay WAY MORE than what we paid for the Gecko in the first place?? My response…It wasn’t about the Gecko!!
The decision to pay to try and save this Gecko’s life was NOT about Matthew it was about Boo! Boo, came down those stairs almost hysterical. Her most beloved pet, her baby, was not fairing well. Boo brought her struggle to us, her parents, to help her. I didn’t search for a vet, drive 30 minutes and pay an astronomical vet bill for Matthew…..because it wasn’t about the Gecko….it was about Boo. She needed us to help her solve a problem, she needed to know that her feelings and needs were being met. At that moment, I could do something important for her and she could see that her problems were important to us as well. We did this so when Boo runs into another problem be it with friends, family, school, faith etc…..Boo will know Mom and Dad will drop what needs to be dropped, stand by her side and be there with her no matter the cost.
It wasn’t about the Gecko. It was building a foundation of trust from our daughter that we would always be there.