On Wednesdays I get to help in my daughter Shalyn’s second grade class and then eat lunch with her. This Wednesday I enjoyed turkey gravy over mashed potatoes, mushy peas, a pumpkin muffin, canned pears and chocolate milk. I’m sure your mouth is salivating as you read this! She was happy and healthy when I left school, but I received a call from the school nurse only an hour later. She asked if I could pick up Shalyn from school; she had thrown up in music class!
How mortifying to throw up in front of your class! I asked her if she at least made it to the garbage and she answered, “The second time I did!” Her body continued to rid itself of the unwanted food for the next few hours. At one point she looked at me and in a sad, quiet voice asked, “Why is God letting this happen?” Oh, the drama of a seven-year-old! I wanted to tell her that other people were struggling with worse things than the stomach flu, but I didn’t think it was the right time or place!
On Thursday night as Shalyn lay resting on the couch, my son Caleb excitedly told us about the “best day in the world.” He was referring to Friday, when his fourth-grade class would spend the entire day in their pajamas, reading and eating healthy snacks. From school he would go to a friend's house and then cap off the evening by attending “Friday Fun Night” at school.
Unfortunately, he woke up with the stomach flu and spent the "best day in the world" on the couch. The three of us spent the day doing puzzles, watching movies and snuggling. I tried valiantly to make them eat and drink as much as their tummies could handle. At one point in the evening, Caleb looked sad. I asked him what was wrong and he said, “I was just thinking about what my friends are probably doing right now.” I sympathetically replied, “It’s no fun to be sick, is it?”
As we wrapped up our final movie, I told them it was time for bed. Caleb looked at me and said, “I had a fun day with you, mom.” I asked him why it was fun and he told me it was fun because I spent time with him and sat next to him.
Wow!
If those kind words from my nine-year-old son were payment for hours spent cleaning the bathroom, washing sheets and dispensing Tylenol…I’ll take it! And as much as I don’t enjoy wearing my “nurse mom” hat sometimes, hearing those words actually made these past days feel worthwhile. I’m not saying I want the stomach flu to stay around or come back anytime soon, but I will say there was an unexpected blessing this time around!
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