It is that time of year again where it seems like a cold, the flu, or some other nasty bug is lurking around every corner. Everywhere you go there seem to be people coughing, sneezing, and sniffling. Last week, I fell victim to one of those pesky bugs and found myself feeling like a train had hit me head on.
As I struggled to focus on my long list of things to do through the pounding in my head, I felt so helpless. Being sick is one of those times where you wish the world would just stop for awhile so you too can stop and rest. Since the world doesn’t seem to get the memo and tends to be uncooperative, you force yourself to slowly, painfully, and methodically push through your daily tasks. For me, I vulnerable and flat out miserable.
Just when I wanted to cry tears of self pity and exasperation, my knight in shining armor came to my rescue. That’s right, my husband. He brought home a bag of goodies to aid me in recovering from my ailment – crackers, chicken noodle soup, orange juice, medicine, and Airborne. He forced me to stay nestled on the couch while, after putting in a full day of work, he whipped up some dinner for us. He also held me at bay when I insisted in helping to clean up. He did this for a few days while I slowly gained the ability to function at a semi-normal pace.
While he felt he hadn’t done much, it was everything to me. It made all the difference to have him be thoughtful, considerate, and sensitive to how terrible I was feeling. Those somewhat simple acts of love made a big impact on me emotionally and physically. The words “in sickness and in health” from our vows immediately came to my mind. Of course I was suffering from a minor ailment in the grand scheme of things, but he upheld his end of the bargain and took care of me in my sickness. It spoke loudly of his love for me.
When the one you love is sick, take it as an opportunity to show him/her that you care and will be there by his/her side no matter what – in sickness and in health. Grab some tissues, soup, tea, cough drops, crackers, medicine, and whatever else you need to care for him/her in their time of need. I guarantee it will be medicine for more than the body.
