November 5, 2024

On Motherhood: Being Everything

Sickness is a good thing. For ten days now, I’ve been on an escalating ride, experiencing the various symptoms of the cold/flu virus. You know what I miss the most about being healthy? Everything!

My voice especially. I’m so grateful that this virus isn’t a terminal one. I never realized how dependent I am upon my voice…I miss reading aloud to my girlies. I’m just now able to speak above a whisper without spiraling into a coughing fit that leaves me exhausted on the couch. Not to mention humming along to favorite songs without scaring my children!!!

My 3 year olds response to my whisperings, has been to perk up, glance around, and whisper right back. As if we have this grand secret, which puzzles her out, if the wrinkled-nose expression on her face is any indication!

Because of this sickness, and thanks to all the TLC I’ve gotten from my dear family, I’ve had plenty of time to rest up. I’ve done a load of laundry here and there, and a few dishes, but everything has really been taken care of for me. Yesterday it was therapeutic to clean the bathroom, wash all the sheets and make a chicken and rice casserole for supper. So satisfying to be able to take the reins back on this household of mine…

“To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labors, and holidays; to be Whitley within a certain area, providing toys, boots, cakes, and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone and narrow to be everything to someone? No, a woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute.” ~G.K. Chesterton

Love that quote!

Yes, sickness is a good thing. It reminded me of how blessed I am when healthy.

And my family is SO glad to have me back!!!

14 thoughts on “On Motherhood: Being Everything

  1. I know what you mean! I just got the cold a few days ago and it is slowly escalating…I just wish it would hit and bam! be done with it. Glad to hear you are feeling better!

  2. Exactly to both of ya! 😉 I don’t know how many times during the past ten days I thought I was over the stuff, or getting over it, and then hello, a new symptom reared its head!

  3. Mary,
    I know how you feel. We have had so much sickness this year. I am sick today, but am starting to feel a little better. My house is not as clean as it should be, but it will be tomorrow! I think we are getting the same thing over and over, as it is going around our town. However, each time it is a little less hard of a sickness. I am glad you are starting to feel better. Hugs to you. Juli

  4. Hugs to you too, Juli, I’m so sorry you keep getting this stuff. It’s enough to make us want to just hole up at home and stop going places. I wish we could. 🙂 I can’t believe how widespread this sickness is…so many of our extended family and friends have been sick with variations of it. Almost everyone I know has gotten on antibiotic presumably for pneumonia, or they’ve gotten started on that flu medicine the doctor’s are prescribing. I’m just so glad we’ve been able to (so far!) avoid a trip to the dr…

    Thanks for the hugs. Just rest, the house would have needed cleaned next week anyway. If it makes you feel better, it didn’t take nearly as long for me to whip mine into shape as I thought it would. It helped that we had company call and tell us they’d be over in an hour! Lol!

  5. I’m glad to hear that you might be on the road back to health! You have such a great family and such wonderful girls! I think I might be borderline with a cold/allergies today so I’m taking it easy! Hugs!

  6. Thank you Colleen, Jessica, Beck and Leticia…we’re doing much better! Not completely back to normal, but nothing to complain about. 🙂

  7. My question exactly! I pray it’s here by the end of March…you’d think with all the snow we’ve had this winter, all these germs would have been frozen off! 🙁

    Hope you guys get well soon!

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