Yesterday I woke up coughing. I’ve been fighting getting sick for a couple days, now, but it seems I’ve succumbed and gotten sick anyway. I literally felt awful, didn’t want to move, barely wanted to breathe, and every time I turned around I had to cough. Let’s not talk about how my throat felt either, okay?
Being it was my husband’s last day off for his leave time, he wanted to take the kids to the pool. And on a whim, I decided to go, too. Sure, I felt horrible, but I was tired of being home practically this entire time off. We had originally wanted to do great things and visit awesome places, but between this coughing thing making it’s rounds, and the pink eye issue, we were homebound the entire two weeks. We never got to take a road trip once.
You would think this would’ve made for a bored and angry family. Nope! We still went to the pool, went bowling, did family things together. I’ve got much more planned for us this summer, too.
But yesterday was particularly magical. I had decided to go to the pool because I hated staying behind while my family went out and had fun without me. Sick or not, I made the effort to go and experience fun with them, despite my sickly ways, and I’m so glad I did, that trip to the pool made me feel whole again! I thoroughly enjoyed the cool water washing away the ickiness, frolicking with my young ones in the water as they splashed and carried on with their giggles and snorts of approval, feeling that sun – oh that sun – on my skin. I felt the sun healing me. I don’t think I coughed once at the pool during our time there, or thereafter, for that matter.
I came home, showered, and felt alive, exhilarated, almost normal again! I got on Skype for a bit to test out my connection for a VIP interview I’m conducting today (more on that later, with video! I promise!) and dinner was cooked between husband and I, together, working cohesively, getting it done as four hands instead of two. More magic being cooked up in our tiny kitchen, as we tackled that meal and made it a gigantic feast! It felt so good sitting with my slightly-more-tanned family, feeling that after-sun feeling, eating this marvelous dinner, realizing how lucky we are, and how perfect that day seemed to be.
During dinner we had discussed how we were instituting a new clean-up rule in the house – we all collectively would straighten up the house for an hour after dinner, and then we would get to do whatever leisurely activities we wanted afterwards. Work before play. And it worked magnificently, and the house looks great with only an hour of everyone’s hands working together to attain it.
Magic continued to happen as I bathed our youngest, got him dressed for bed, and was met in the hallway/kitchen area by my husband who was listening to music as he cleaned and had put on a slow song and wanted me to dance with him. I love the spontaneity we share at times, the romantic sways as we embrace, holding our children, nestled into one anothers arms, listening to songs that remind us of our youth, or reach our souls with their words. It means the world to hear him whisper the lyrics, or sing to me while I kiss our children who share the dance with us.
Make the most of every moment you have. Challenge yourself to get up and do something when you’re not feeling up to it. Make a normal everyday meal something extraordinary by taking out fancy dishes, or make it a party. Really connect with your family, working together in as much as you possibly can, and do me a favor? Slow dance with your children and husband in the kitchen. It means the world to them to see their parents that much in love, and teaches them what real love should look like. And trust me when I tell you, it means the world to your husband that you did. (And you too).
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