Winter Bugs

Early Thanksgiving morning and we're all under the weather with stuffy heads and scratchy throats. Bill and Michael have both been sniffling and sneezing for the past few days, I finally succumbed to the cold germs yesterday. We sipped on chicken soup both for lunch and dinner (well, I had stuffed pepper soup for lunch since I wasn't feeling the yuck until later in the day...but was quite happy for simple broth and noodles come dinner.) Everybody dosed with nighttime cough and cold medicine before bed, dragging weary, achy bodies to snuggle warm and cozy under covers. This creates a lose/lose/lose situation...

We could choose to keep our germs to ourselves and spare the rest of the family from getting sick, stay home and miss Thanksgiving dinner. No turkey, no gravy, no mashed potatoes piled high, no...pumpkin pie...buried...under a mountain of whipped cream...This option would also grant us the title of ungrateful, self-centered, and thoughtless to not attend the family celebration.

So, then, should we show up sick, germie, and contagious, thereby infecting my mother before she leaves for Florida, I will no doubt hear about it for the next several months. We're always sick in her book. Michael gave my dad a cold the Christmas they came to visit after he'd been diagnosed with cancer. It went into pneumonia and you would've thought I had intentionally injected him with the virus myself, the way my mother went on about it all winter long that year. I even heard comments from other family members about how we had gotten my dad sick...My mother is an eternal study in learning patience, peace, and forgiveness.

What to do? I guess for now we'll wait and see how everybody feels a little later in the day. I'm out of soup, but no doubt Walmart is open and most likely empty with everybody waiting until Black Friday begins at midnight. Not interested in any electronics this year, just a couple cans of Campbells Chicken 'n Rice...maybe a jar of Vicks to open the sinuses some. Meanwhile, there's always hot lemon water with honey and a bag of Halls lozenges to soothe sore, scratchy throats...

To offer thanksgiving and praise to the One from whom all blessings flow, I'm posting a video of David Crowder's "O Praise Him"--great song! Thank you Lord for all the blessings you have granted us this year--your love, your grace, your peace. Amen.



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