I hate being sick!

It's never fun to feel sick. In fact, of the top things I want to do it's never been on the list, next to the list, in the same room as the list, or even on the same planet of the 'To-Do-List'. It's never been a goal of mine to feel like death warmed over, quite the opposite in fact. I rather be feeling of this world as opposed to the afterlife. When you're sick your energy is non-existent, your appetite sucks, you're achy and painey all over, your nose is runny, your throat is all scratchy, your sinuses are clogged, and your color is all off. There's a reason why people barricade themselves in their bedrooms when all is not right. Mounds of used tissues piling up all around you, the waste basket, the floor. Bottles of this, bags of that, throat lozenges, cough syrup, inhalers, thermometers, jars of things to rub on you,  things to drop in your eyes, and we won't even discuss the word "enema". Who wants to inflict this on the rest of the world? It's hard enough facing yourself in the mirror when you're under the weather, who wants to feel judged by others on top of all that?

I believe the only time I've ever 'enjoyed' (relative term) being sick was back when I was a kid. Back then it was so much more than feeling terrible, it was all about the attention and the love. Special meals of soups & broths, grilled cheese sandwiches & fruit, super sweet mugs of tea (and if you were particularly whiney you knew there would be a shot of something 'medicinal' in there), juices & ginger-ale, and 7-Up if there was tummy trouble. You'd get to stay home and it was all about naps & pillow nests in front of the TV, comic books, and if you were very lucky- someone to read to you until you drifted off to sleep. Love and Comfort just washed over you on those days, someone to ease the tummy troubles, take your temperature, cool your brow, and rub something with menthol on your chest. Whoever that caregiver was, they made it all about you & how you were feeling. Despite the sickness you felt like you were quite possibly the luckiest little boy or girl on the planet.

Now-a-days you're on your own. If the Jewish delicatessen doesn't deliver you're stuck making your own chicken noodle soup, your own grilled cheese, your own tea, and definitely putting a rather large shot of something medicinal just to help you relax. Don't you wish there was a 'Rent-A-Mom' or a 'Rent-A-Granny' who would come in and make everything better? Tidy up the place, make some soup, run to the pharmacy & grocery for you, cool your brow, and just make you feel just a little bit pampered? Now when you're sick everyone gets all "Stay Away From Me", creating a fog of disinfectants and antibacterial sprays aimed at you, dousing themselves with hand-sanitizers & gels, all while apprehensively looking around to see what you've touched or just breathed in the general direction of so they can disinfect/sanitize within an inch of it's life. Warmth, comfort, and compassion has been replaced with "Don't Get Me Sick". Instead of feeling lucky you now feel like one of the loneliest people on the planet.

I hate being sick because it keeps me from doing the things I want to do & it keeps me from the people I wan to be with. I hate being sick because of all the feelings it dredges up and all the memories it brings back.
I want my Mommy.