Formula Crisis Drives a Point

Some times it takes decades to realize what a blessing you were given many, many years ago.

No matter what news you listen to – whether it’s Fox News or ABC News, or CBS – every network is talking about the baby formula crisis. We can see the worry in the faces of the mothers being interviewed. Every night we are hearing stories of mothers desperately searching online or rushing from one store to the next to the next to the next in hopes of finding at least one can of formula. Most times they are not finding anything other than empty shelves. And now, some of the infants that have required special formulas are being diagnosed with dehydration and hospitalized. Some of these hospitals have been able to concoct their own baby formulas from adult feeding formulas. But this isn’t fool proof either. Some of these babies are reacting to the new formula and becoming even more ill. This has been going on for months now. Although the biggest formula producer (Abbott) in the US is now starting to make more formula after slowing production following a volunteer recall in February, it won’t be an instant fix. It will take weeks before the shelves are restocked with the much needed formula.

My heart goes out to these mothers. Had this crisis began before their child was born, they may have opted to breast feed, if at all possible. But what about the mothers already months into formula feeding when the crisis hit? I think back and wonder what I would have done 40 years ago had this happened to me. I know I would have been distraught, just like the mothers are today. I think I would have broken the city ordinances and staked a goat in the backyard.

I almost feel guilty for how easy things were for me forty years ago when it came to obtaining formula. I was working at the Cozad Community Hospital in Cozad, NE at the time that both of my boys were born. It was a benefit for the nurses to get their formula free, already mixed in small bottles and ready to deliver to our babies at home. So easy. All I had to do was let the purchasing clerk know how much I needed each month and then back my vehicle up to the back door and load it up.

The current situation has forced me to see that I took this benefit for granted. At the time, I appreciated what was given to me, but never gave it a thought of what I would do had it not been easily accessible. It took this crisis, forty years later, for me to truly realize how fortunate I had it.

It has made me more conscious of being grateful for any good gift that I receive. If you catch me talking to myself you might hear me saying, “Thank-you for my comfortable home, thank-you for my beautiful yard, thank-you for my health that allows me to do the things I like to do, thank-you for my family and thank-you for my friends.” This formula crisis was just a reminder that the blessings of today might be absent tomorrow. I should be thankful everyday for what I am given.

Even though I was a little late, I’ve thanked God this week for the formula I was able to come by so easily those forty years ago. I will strive to take less for granted and acknowledge that every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. James 1:17 (MSG) and to thank my Creator for them…at the time I receive them. (As you can see, I’m not really talking to myself.)

Until next time…keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.

May 23, 2022