Children can stretch the disease into three full days off from school,
daring which their mothers bring them meals on a tray and permit them
to look at all the awful daytime television shows. One of the nicest
things that can happen to a child is to get the bug that is going
around.
Fathers enjoy it, they do not have it quite so long, but they have it louder. The household revolves around the patient then, and every one, including Father, worries for a couple of days until he is better.
Mothers, however, can catch, suffer and recover from the 24 hour bug in a flat 12 hours. Surely this is a medical miracle of some kind. Perhaps some young doctor, as yet unknown, will one day be hailed as the man who found the cure for “there is a lot of it going around,”
The first thing worth nothing is that mothers react differently from other people to the first signs of fever. Children may weep, fathers get irritable. But the typical mother’s reaction is pure, unadulterated joy. It is a little known fact that many otherwise hardworking, selfless, admirable homemakers are addicted to the secret vice of taking their own temperature.
However, once in a long while she is lucky and, to her definite joy, the thermometer shows a fever. Not high, of course, not much over 100 degrees, but positive proof that she actually has thing, that is going around.
Let’s assume that this fine moment comes just after lunchtime. The children are at school, the baby is napping, and there is no why she can not get into immediately.
Her aching legs soak up comfort from the cool sheets, and her eyes, which have started to burn a bit, slowly, pleasurably, close. She is asleep-in the middle of the day!
Then, too soon, the front door bang wildly opens as the children explode home from school.
“If you sick, what shall we have for dinner?” inquires the eldest cutting right to the essential problem.
“I am sick,” she must say clearly. “I can not do anything. I shall just have to leave every thing to you.” then, letting her voice trail off dramatically, but careful to maintain every necessary duty.
But then Father comes home. Having received a breathless medical report from the children, he bounds into the bedroom.
“The kids say you feel terrible. Have you called the doctor? Should I go pick up the prescription?” suddenly she feels terribly guilty, and struggles to switch from acting sicker. “It is nothing darling, I can get up and do dinner and …” He shakes his head firmly.
“You stay right there. The kids and I will take over.” He sounds confident. “I am sorry, dear. It is awfully hard on you”… she begins painfully.
“Just do not talk,” he advises briskly. “We shall get along fine without you.”
After some time all the children appear, beaming. “Can we come up with you while you eat?”
Suddenly she feels marvelous! As the children watch carefully, she eats up everything in sight. She stirs when her husband come in. “Go back to sleep, hope you feel better tomorrow.” he says quietly.
And it is about time. Because some people have the 24-hour bug for 72hours, and some have it for 48. But a mother, if she feels needed enough, can get over it in 12.
Fathers enjoy it, they do not have it quite so long, but they have it louder. The household revolves around the patient then, and every one, including Father, worries for a couple of days until he is better.
Mothers, however, can catch, suffer and recover from the 24 hour bug in a flat 12 hours. Surely this is a medical miracle of some kind. Perhaps some young doctor, as yet unknown, will one day be hailed as the man who found the cure for “there is a lot of it going around,”
The first thing worth nothing is that mothers react differently from other people to the first signs of fever. Children may weep, fathers get irritable. But the typical mother’s reaction is pure, unadulterated joy. It is a little known fact that many otherwise hardworking, selfless, admirable homemakers are addicted to the secret vice of taking their own temperature.
However, once in a long while she is lucky and, to her definite joy, the thermometer shows a fever. Not high, of course, not much over 100 degrees, but positive proof that she actually has thing, that is going around.
Let’s assume that this fine moment comes just after lunchtime. The children are at school, the baby is napping, and there is no why she can not get into immediately.
Her aching legs soak up comfort from the cool sheets, and her eyes, which have started to burn a bit, slowly, pleasurably, close. She is asleep-in the middle of the day!
Then, too soon, the front door bang wildly opens as the children explode home from school.
“If you sick, what shall we have for dinner?” inquires the eldest cutting right to the essential problem.
“I am sick,” she must say clearly. “I can not do anything. I shall just have to leave every thing to you.” then, letting her voice trail off dramatically, but careful to maintain every necessary duty.
But then Father comes home. Having received a breathless medical report from the children, he bounds into the bedroom.
“The kids say you feel terrible. Have you called the doctor? Should I go pick up the prescription?” suddenly she feels terribly guilty, and struggles to switch from acting sicker. “It is nothing darling, I can get up and do dinner and …” He shakes his head firmly.
“You stay right there. The kids and I will take over.” He sounds confident. “I am sorry, dear. It is awfully hard on you”… she begins painfully.
“Just do not talk,” he advises briskly. “We shall get along fine without you.”
After some time all the children appear, beaming. “Can we come up with you while you eat?”
Suddenly she feels marvelous! As the children watch carefully, she eats up everything in sight. She stirs when her husband come in. “Go back to sleep, hope you feel better tomorrow.” he says quietly.
And it is about time. Because some people have the 24-hour bug for 72hours, and some have it for 48. But a mother, if she feels needed enough, can get over it in 12.
0 comments:
Post a Comment