On Being Sick

I have had a very bad cold this week.

I felt lethargic all day Monday while at work, and on Tuesday I woke up without a voice. I stayed at home on the couch all day Tuesday and most of Wednesday (had to attend the BusyBee's Mother's Day breakfast at daycare). I even had a fever.

Being sick is not such an unusual experience for me. I seem to get run down and worn out more and more often. At first I would chalk it up to germs brought home by the BusyBee, but this time, I think I just got sick on my own.

The hardest part is the coughing. My coughs can sometimes drag on for weeks. Co-workers tend to get very annoyed, but it's not as if I can stay home with just a cough. The second issue is everyone giving me advice on how better to take care of myself. I try to be nice about it, but I hate that part of being sick more than the rest of it combined.

While colds are a universal experience, there is truly the mother of universal experiences that trumps it. When I was pregnant with the BusyBee, I was stunned by how universal pregnancy is. Even men had comments on my situation. My favorite interaction was in a CVS when Mr. Bee and I stopped to pick up a few things. As I was paying, the clerk noticed we were buying Tums, and assumed they were for a very pregnant me. She told me that heartburn meant the baby had a lot of hair. Well, the BusyBee did in fact have a lot of hair when she arrived, but I don't think it was causing Mr. Bee's upset stomach.

For Mother's Day, the BusyBee made me a great frame with a cute picture of herself at daycare. The frame is purple, of course, since that is her favorite color. It show her "smile-on-command" face, which results in very squinted eyes. I love it.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone.