Last Monday was a holiday, which means nothing when you are retired. I was feeling guilty, blaming my lethargy and sloth on drinking too much wine with My-Best-Friend-Whose-Name-I-Can’t-Remember the previous afternoon at pool volleyball. By the middle of the afternoon I had a sensation of the achiness that precedes a virus, but attributed it to a need to relinquish my guilt.
Tuesday morning I headed out to run errands, ignoring the fatigue, but by late morning I recognized the symptoms of a virus. A friend gave me Vitamin B, and I began zinc as soon as I got home. But by mid-afternoon, I knew I wouldn’t escape it. Ironically, Blue Boy came home from school early because of illness which he had been resisting for several days.
Wednesday found Blue Boy home and me in bed. Meanwhile, ED, who had been sick off and on for three weeks, worked mostly from home.
Thursday afternoon I was beginning to suspect a sinus infection as ED returned from urgent care with the same diagnosis. She began her antibiotics and we both settled in to begin recovery.
Around the time I was contemplating climbing into bed, Blue Boy announces that he has a video assignment due [pause] the next day. He moaned, several times, that he should not have to complete it until Monday because he had been out ill. Using my best grandma voice, I recounted times when his mother, aunt, and uncle had all experienced the same unfairness. I assured him this would happen again in the future, in school and in work. Then I told him to suck it up and get it done.
ED was dragged out of bed. We put our three snot-filled brains together and came up with a plan. (Luckily, the script had been completed.) ED held the phone camera as Blue Boy and I read the script and manipulated the props. I extracted a promise from ED to avoid filming anything above my feet but some of my PJ’s did appear in the final product.
My hats off to actors/actresses who work sick. It was an effort to keep my voice in a range to avoid crackling and hyponasality, but I managed to say “My name is Mary” without sounding like “By dabe is Barry”. I was thankful for my experience with voice therapy pre-retirement.
The video was completed including bloopers. The dying man reading from a script, collapsing in sudden death, then rolling over with a smile and giggle elicited the most laughs.
Blue Boy went off to complete his other homework as ED and I fell into bed.
ED and I joke that we share everything, even illness. But sharing germs isn’t bad if you can share burdens and laughs.
Post Script: I asked Blue Boy on Friday how the video went over. “The teacher didn’t have time to show it.” REALLY?!!!
Share: what do you like to share with your family?
