DEAR HARRIETTE: I gave birth to my son a few days ago, and he is the sweetest angel. He was born with one lung, which is causing his heart to work too hard. He’s scheduled to have surgery in a couple of days. There are a lot of things that could go wrong, and I wouldn’t know what to do if my sweet boy passed. How do my husband and I stay positive during this hard time? -- Frightened New Mother, Cincinnati
DEAR FRIGHTENED NEW MOTHER: Start by counting your blessings. Your son is alive and fighting to stay that way. Surgeons have the skill and understanding of how to care for children with this medical challenge. For you to stay calm and trust that your son can have a positive outcome requires you to believe that a miracle can happen. For me, that translates into faith. I will not presume what your religious or spiritual background is, but I will assure you that asking your higher power to bless your son and your family during this harrowing journey may help you tremendously. You can also ask your loved ones to pray for your son to get the medical attention and healing that he needs. Do not discount the power of positive intention, prayer and faith.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)