Tissue and Laptops

Illness sucks.
There’s just no question about it.
Illness - big, small, temporary, long term - in all it’s manifestations - is a drag.
Circumstances around illness can make the situation much more tolerable or completely inhumane. For the record, let me acknowledge how blessed my life has been and say very clearly - I am deeply grateful for the fact that I have not dealt, ever, with completely inhumane circumstances.

See, I’ve been down with a pretty sore throat, fever and general malaise for the past twenty-four hours. It’s been quite uncomfortable, actually. And those who know me well, know that for me to take to my bed - and actually stay in it - usually means that I feel really, really crummy.

But here’s the deal - I’m snug in my home, the roof is solid, there’s sunlight shining through the curtained windows that I can look through from my comfortable bed, and I have not one - but three pillows propping me up. I’m pausing to sneeze and wipe my nose (yes, on tissue), and then I’m pondering how I’ll need to sterilize this laptop when I feel better.

Tissue and laptops? Yeah right. I’d say that having a nasty virus in my world is easy-peasy compared to what folks in other places, under more difficult circumstances have to deal with. I’d hate to have a head cold just after an earthquake or tsunami, for example - just after having my home reduced to rubble or losing someone I love. I’d hate to have a fever in a little tin roofed shack that is shared by five other people and getting clean water involves a long walk to a well or a river.

It’s important to count blessings every day, even if one is counting in between nose blows. It’s vital to look around notice not only what makes life “tolerable“ but what - when put in the proper perspective - makes it pretty damned extraordinary and miraculous.

With gratitude ~ mlp