Monday, February 01, 2010

No rest for the weary...

I woke up this morning, reluctantly opened one eye, and immediately though, "Oh, shit." My throat was scratchy, I could only breathe through one nostril, and the glands in my neck were swollen and tender. Yep...I have somehow managed to catch a cold. For a working mom (and show me a mom who ISN'T a working mom!), getting sick is one of the worst things that can happen. Personally, I would rather have all three of my children walking around throwing up their guts with their limbs falling off than get sick myself. The problem is that a mom is not allowed to be sick. If I could shut the blinds, lock the door, and hibernate in my bedroom until I felt better, all would be well. I would come out happy and fresh...a perfect Pollyanna of a mother. But no...a mom is not allowed to be sick. A mom is not allowed to take a nap. A mom is not allowed to cuddle up with a blankie and a cup of chicken soup and watch trash TV until she feels better. No siree...a mom must plow through. A mom must get out of bed, get dressed, and start her day. A mom must feed the screaming cat. A mom must pack her son's lunch. A mom must feed and dress her children, even though every particle of her being is screaming, "Let the little urchins run around naked!! They can eat cat food for all I care!!" A sick mom's mind goes to terrible places.

At least it is not a stomach bug this time. That is the worst. You would think throwing up would ellicit a tiny fraction of sympathy from my children. Nope...they are as cold-hearted as the day is long. The last time I had the stomach bug, I was sprawled out on the bathroom with my head IN the toilet paying homage to the porcelain gods, when I suddenly felt Lucas' presence behind me.

"Momma?" he whispered. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, honey. Momma is ok. I am just a little sick." Though I was certain at that moment that I was going to die that very night, I thought seeing me in this predicament had scared Lucas. I was trying to calm his fears.

"Ok." He started to walk away, then turned. "Can....?"

I expected to hear "Can I get you anything, mom." or "Can I do anything to help you, mom?" or "Can I pick up all of my toys and put them away so you don't have to worry about it, mom?" But no...that is not what Lucas had in mind. Instead I heard...

"Mom...can you get me a glass of juice?"

No rest for the weary.

1 comments:

Jen said...

LOL... Right On Sista! Our kids dont care when "us" Moms get sick but I'll give you some hope... its gets a teeny tiny better when they get alittle older.

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