Whew!

A surgery waiting room is the location where you discover all the worse parts about being a parent: not the fear that your child isn't going to be able to achieve a certain task or that they are going to be hurt by those who hold them accountable for random societal standards or even that your parenting skills will not be up to their needs -- here you learn of the far worse fears: that your child is vulnerable and contingent, that their presence in the world is premised upon all sorts of good luck and the hard ongoing work of others who are beyond your control.

The good news: the surgery went well, no matter how debilitating it was to see Jaelyn's red, teary, vaguely betrayed eyes when she emerged from the anesthetic, it was enough that her big brown eyes were open and looking at us, looking to us for meaning and hope.