ABSTRACT
Tamsen Butler was living the busy life of a mother of two, a college student, and a freelance writer when her 15-month-old son could no longer breathe properly. She carried him into the ambulance, clutching “my son in one arm while I used my other arm to balance my laptop bag.” After a couple of nights in a Nebraska hospital tending to her son and staying up late trying to meet writing deadlines, she had an epiphany: “My son was in the hospital and I was a fool.” Rather than working while her son slept, Butler realized she should have been resting. Rather than “clutching my son with only one arm I should have had both arms wrapped around him.” When her son recovered, Butler and her family began spending less time rushing from here to there and reorganized their lives around their health and their time together. They also gave to charity the many extra toys and clothes they had accumulated. 1
