Lessons in Sickness.

We have been sick since January 19th.  It's cycled through all of us at least twice in various forms.   And we are still not a 100% better.  Well everyone is but me.  I am no longer technically sick, just injured..... Last Friday I threw out my lower back folding laundry and it just won't get better.  My conclusion.  Sickness is HARD.  I remember when I was younger, I would look forward to being a little sick, get to lie around all day, read, watch movies, get out of chores, but I'm totally over that now.

It's hard to be sick, especially as a Mom.  I have had a ton of help from my amazing husband, my parents, and friends.  It has been such a blessing and helped me recover, but I realized how much joy I get out of my job.  Of taking care of my kids, my house, and my husband myself, and doing my job well.  The first day it was nice to lie in bed and recover.  It's always nice to take a little vacation.  But by day two (OK probably 3) I couldn't stand it anymore....

It's hard to have sick kids.  I had the double blessing of not having them sick at the same time.  So one of them had lots of energy while one of them was on the couch.  I especially struggle with the TV thing.  I have no trouble letting my sick child watch TV, but I don't want my well child to be a couch potato all day.

It's hard to have a sick husband.  Justin does so much around here.  When he's incapacitated I realize anew all I take for granted.  And it's like my mind can only mentally handle him being sick for maybe 2 or 3 days after that I start to have a mental breakdown.

So about day 4ish of being sick I start having these mental conversations in my head.  Please tell me that other people have mental conversations in their heads...

"Being sick sucks," "But I can choose my attitude"  "I'm just going to enjoy this time inside uninterrupted with my children"  Fast Forward a couple of hours "If I don't get outside I'm going to go crazy!"  " I need to do something productive"  "Don't look at the kitchen floor, just let it go, you can choose to ignore it, focus on playing with the kids"  "Dang kids are at such different ages what can we do that will make them both happy?"  "I guess I could just let them put all the toys on the couch...(see previous post)"  Fast Forward a couple more hours.  "I'm going to lose it!"  "Be patient, enjoy the kids, they won't be little forever" "If they jump on me one more time...." "No tears, it's not fair to burden Justin with all this, he's been working all day"  fast forward 10 minutes, tears, Justin orders me to bed.  Do you think all that goes through guys minds as well.

In the future, I will be more grateful for the days:
I get to work out
Leave the house
Have energy
Have a clean house
The ability to do my job
Have more compassion for those who are chronically sick, or bedridden.

I keep having the thought from physics, it is easier for an object in motion to stay in motion than for a stopped object to get started.  When I'm sick I'm still capable of reading my scriptures and doing things like that, but it feels like I usually get nothing done. I hate wasted days.  When I get up early, exercise, and read my scriptures, I am more productive all day long...

Hopefully their will be more joy in sickness and health.