PARENTING | PALESTINE

The Baby Scales

A meditation on life

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“D … E … F … P … O … T … E … C,” intoned my fifteen-year-old daughter from across the hallway.

Eye chart at a pediatrician’s clinic (Photo by the author)

“That’s good! You can head on over to exam room #4.” The physician’s assistant led us to a doorway decorated with a large, cuddly, smiley, 3-D collage of Olaf (from Disney’s Frozen).

Doors at a pediatrician’s clinic (Photo by the author)

“Please have a seat. The doctor will be here to see you shortly.”

I took one of the two chairs alongside the examination table. Looking around, something felt odd about the room — surreal even.

Exam room at a pediatrician’s clinic (Photo by the author)

With the ongoing genocide in Palestine, our annual pediatrician visits have lapsed. This was the first visit in three years. I must have forgotten how friendly pediatric exam rooms are. The walls are painted in bright colors, and decorated with characters from Winnie-the-Pooh. A few picture books are scattered on the shelf under the exam…