A family holiday in the Philippines was marred by a mother's constant worry, but a genuine emergency ultimately taught her to cope. Lucille Wong found herself on high alert throughout the trip, fretting over stray dogs, ice cubes, street food, and earthquakes. While her partner remained calm and her children adapted easily, Wong struggled to switch off from her fears.
The tension escalated when her four-year-old son screamed after being bitten by an insect. Wong immediately feared the worst, suspecting a dengue-carrying mosquito. Despite her panic, the bite proved harmless, with no swelling or redness. The incident, however, only heightened her anxiety, leading her to plan an early departure for a location with better medical facilities.
A real emergency struck when her seven-year-old daughter fell out of bed in the middle of the night, sustaining a deep gash on her forehead. The family rushed through three hospitals before receiving proper treatment. At the final teaching hospital, a doctor calmly administered stitches, while Wong waited outside with her sleeping younger son.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Wong realised that her constant anticipatory fear was unhelpful. During the actual crisis, she focused only on the next step, not the next five, and found herself thinking about breakfast by sunrise. The experience taught her that worrying does not prevent accidents; it only exhausts the parent.
