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OPINION

We are well into cold and flu season and WHAT a season it has been.

Sickness comes with its own unique challenges, and with the whopper of a flu this year (at least in my experience), it is a wonder that anyone who has the chance to rest comes out the other side healthy, let alone those that continue to work, play and parent.

It is the parenting while sick that is a new expedition for me.

I’m not complaining — I know children are going to get sick, but I will say it is NOT like in the movies.

Instead of being the perky (and incapable of actually get sick) mother, armed with chicken soup and hot tea, ready to spend hours reading tongue-twisting books over and over again, I am more the slug-like, thinking about how good that box of macaroni looks, ready for bed kind of mom.

Luckily my daughter went through the illness first so I could be that mom — for a little while anyway.

But as confident as I was about my state-of-the-art immune system, relying on a heathy diet and vitamin D, I was wrong.

First came the runny nose, coughing and general feeling of ‘Okay, this might start to suck. Time to double my dose of oranges and drink copious amount of herbal tea. It’s just a sore throat; it won’t go anywhere.’

Then came the chills, nausea and inability to do anything other than lay down and complain about how crappy I felt. 

Stop me if you’ve heard this one.

All the while, my children just continued to use me as a jungle gym and find new and interesting places to nap.

The unfailing pounding in my head was only aggravated by Peppa Pig and her family learning to flip pancakes…. Who eats pancakes one person at a time?! 

My silver lining was the ice cream sandwich beckoning to me from the freezer, which I ate while huddled on the floor.

My husband commented I must be feeling better because I was eating ice cream.

Clearly he doesn’t understand how being sick works.

After day three of wearing the same pants (and yes that includes through the night too), I decided the jig was up and the cashiers at Safeway were going to be wise to my not-so-fashionable fashion statement.

I was convinced no set amount of time was going to help me escape from the clutches of the 2018 cold and flu season.

But here I am, still recovering, but on the other side with a new appreciation for the juggling a parent has to do to continue ‘parenting’ through an illness.

It used to be easy. I could lay back and watch Netflix, order delivery and call it a day.

As someone’s old saying goes, “You don’t appreciate your health, until you get sick!”

— Becky Mann is a 30-something, red haired, mother of two, trying to navigate this life as best she can. She enjoys talking to people and discovering their stories. Still trying to balance her personal and professional life, she juggles work and play. In her spare time Becky can be found visiting with friends, spending time with her family and saving time by reading while walking. She knows there is so much more to come and is looking forward to the continued adventure.

News from © iNFOnews, 2018