Mommy Powers

Have you ever had a parent moment, where you thought you could do amazingly "heroic" things? I ALMOST had one today. Here's what happened...

It was time for Allie and I to go pick up Owen from school. I had told her to go put her socks on so we could leave. She went into her room and shut the door. I assumed she was completing the directions I had given her, until I heard her calling for me to help. I went to the closed door and found it LOCKED from the inside. (Insert heart rate increase and start to sweat a little.) I asked her to come and open the door. She informs me that she can't. She has gotten onto the top bunk, Owen's bed. Allie hasn't been able to get down by herself. I start to worry a little about the time, I tell her she is going to have to get down by herself. She LOSES it! I hear sobbing and hysterical crying. Allie screams, "I can't!!!". I try, with no success, at trying to wiggle and push on the door to open it. "Mommy, I need you!" At this point I am starting to panic. (What if she falls? What if I can't get in? What IF...) In a moment, I felt like this...

Then I feel this wave of CALM. Not sure how, but I take a deep breath and quietly tell Allie that she CAN get down. She has to roll onto her belly and slide onto the ladder, like she would slide into the pool. And most important, don't let go. After several attempts, I hear this huge sigh. "I'm ON THE LADDER! I CAN do this mommy!" I kneel down and wait for her to open the door. She opens the door, red-eyed and still crying. But she has this big grin on her face. "I did it!" I give her a big hug and tell her, I knew she could. I wipe her eyes and we quickly get back on the path to picking Owen up from school. In the car, we talk about how important it is to NEVER lock the doors. She says she understands. But just in case, I'm going to be working on my Mommy Skills. Is there a college course out there for this?