Mommies Can't Get Sick

It's law, right? Mommies can't get sick.

We don't have time. We do so much. We don't have time. The kids always need us. We don't have time.

Last week, I got knocked down. By something ugly. I have no idea where it came from, but it literally caused me to sleep for over 24 hours. In the middle of that, I tried really hard to care for my child. I know I dragged myself from room to room, attempting to cook her healthy and wholesome meals. Attempting to bathe her and brush her teeth, when all I really wanted to do was crawl back into my cocoon and sleep it all away. I felt like I did pretty OK.

But, wouldn't you know it? I show up to school one day in the midst of my physical anguish, to pick her up and her teacher says, "We're not really sure why, but she was a little extra needy and clingy today."

All the bad mother alarms go off in my head. I know exactly why she was clingy and needy - because I have failed miserably at being attentive, loving and playful when I felt like death warmed over. Like ten miles of bad road.

Seriously? I can't even get sick.

Let's take a moment to briefly recount what happens when (most) Daddies get sick. They moan, they whine and they sleep. While we do everything. Moment over. We love Daddies. Just not when they're sick.

I was feeling so terrible, I even went to the doctor, which never happens. Ever. In fact, the last time I went to the doctor was six months ago when the same train wreck happened inside my body. They (the infamous "they." Will we ever figure out who "they" are?) could figure nothing out. Blood work? Fine. Internal organs? Fine. Everything appears to be fine.

Second lesson here: I need to take care of myself. Because, at the end of the day, I can't get sick. There's no time and my kid needs me. When on earth am I going to learn this lesson? Am I going to have to endure this physical torture every six months until I wise up and make little changes in my life to combat this crud before it invades me? I hope not.

But, if you're a Mommy, you should know this, too.  You can't get sick. There's no time for that garbage.