One of our biggest blessings this winter is good health (other than I flunked my physical last fall). Staying healthy involves every member of the family particularly when you live in close quarters and someone needs to have major surgery with all the accompanying risks.
Inventor had a touch of a cold the week of Christmas. He downed so much raw garlic I couldn't stand to be in the same room with him. Then we had an ambulance run with Grandpa, and the 5 hour drive to take them home, once the docs released him to travel. Inventor, myself, Grandpa and Grandma crammed into the cab of their pickup. Oh let me tell you it reeked. But it worked, he fought off his cold and praise the Lord, neither of us picked up anything on the train ride home with people hacking and wheezing all around us. The rest of the children and DH do their best to stay healthy, garlic, vitamins, fruit and green veggies and mostly avoiding sugar. A month of mostly self imposed isolation in our valley didn't hurt either.
But 3:30 Sabbath morning, Rocket sounded the alarm. MOM! Cat Lover is sick! Bleary eyed, Dh and I rolled out bed. Rocket led me to his brother's bedside, excitedly reviewing all the symptoms he'd observed. Sure enough, chills, sore throat, temp of 101.5, and raspy breathing. Rocket roused Inventor and Harpist from their slumbers and pressed them into service. I requested boiling water of Harpist, a tent design from Inventor, and extra blankets and the heating pad from Rocket. Such assistence at 3 am I never had when they were little! After doing all we could to make our patient comfortable, I commandeered Rocket's bed next to the patient and sent him back to bed with DH. Not so much because of the patient's condition, but unless I did, none of us would get any sleep. Rocket would provide "play by play" analysis until dawn if I left him at his post of duty.
As I carefully climbed into Rocket's bed, I thanked the Lord this hadn't happened sooner. At least I'm at a place recovery wise where I can at direct care for others. (Fevers and stomach flu are my specialities,DH handles blood and guts.) Cat Lover will recover this week and hopefully no one else will pick up his bug.
DH sent me to church at the neighbor's while he spent a quiet Sabbath home with Cat Lover. It was a silver lining on a gray cloud for both of us. He needed a quiet day for reflection as he was very tired while the children and I needed the fellowship of dear friends and believers to recharge. We all were blessed. DH and I even got our evening walk in together.
Sabbaths and town days still wear me out though. My body said NO MORE today. Two walks and two loads of laundry did me in. The recliner called and I answered. I'm not complaining, just coming to grips with the fact that my body is taking its own sweet time to heal. Thankfully, my family and friends graciously accomodate my reduced activity tolerance.ord choose to be grateful for the opportunity to view life from a different perspective. It helps me appreciate the path of those who suffer more than I. So take advantage of unwanted learning opportunities when they come your way. Choose to find the silver lining in the midst of worry, physical limitations and frustrations, it won't remove the bumps in the road, but it can add a little cushion to them.
And yes, the place reeks of raw garlic. The other three children are consuming even larger quantities regularly. Clothespin please.
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