Being Sick

One of the many things that come with this time of year is being sick. People will get colds and flues, and there is nothing we can do. This is not a fun part of this season, but a considerable part. We pray and hope that it all goes away before Christmas and all the activities of Christmas, but we do not know. 

Being sick can be the worse, yet it can also show you what someone is like. Is your partner someone loving and wishing to take care of you or help you? Or is your partner fearful and wishing to stay away from you? And for those who do not have a partner, it reminds us how much a loving partner we want to have. 

I think of a scene of a woman being sick. She does not wish her partner to see her, but he pushes through the door and comes to her rescue. She looks a mess, with her hair all in disorder and her nose all red from blowing. And she feels so horrible, as if she is dead to the world. And here comes her partner, cuddling up and making her feel better. As she does not feel like doing anything, her partner goes out, gets her medicine, gets food, or makes some. The whole process of being taken care of can have a slightly romantic feel. And I believe it is the same if it were a man sick. If a person, whether male or female, is ill and has someone to care for them, there is a love that is felt like no other. As much as there is no romance in a disordered face, there is a romance that stems from love. For if there is no love between the two people, no one would wish to take care of or be there for the other.

I had heard a story once when a woman became sick. Yet she did not wish her man to become ill and told him to stay away. However, he figured out another way of helping her out. He sent for soup and sent it to her home. She was surprised and felt the comfort of being cared for, even from afar. And sometimes, taking care of does not mean being near. It is not necessarily being next to the person and hugging them. Sometimes just helping is enough and all that is needed, and help can come in many forms, in words given or the actions done. Love can be shown in many different ways.

I think that when we love someone, truly love someone, we want to make them feel safe, comforted, and loved. And one way to show it is by being there when times are tough, like when we are sick. Whether being beside them or finding innovative ways to reach and help them while away from them, from sending soup to giving something that can be helpful or even kind, uplifting words, we do this to show how much we care. And that, to me, is what counts. Thoughts?