Every now and then, shout-outs are in order for the people who help a Sick Mama in trouble. Yesterday morning, I woke up with the kind of stomach bug that makes it hard to be a human being, let alone a mother. The kind of bug that makes you feel like you’re on the verge of throwing up or passing out every time you stand up. The kind of bug that makes you want to lie horizontally with your eyes closed for the rest of your life. The kind of bug that makes you want to hand your children over to the mail carrier, UPS delivery guy, the woman behind the deli counter at the grocery store, or anyone who you think has the greatest statistical chance of returning them home unharmed at the end of the day.
Twenty-four hours later, I feel like myself again, and I need to give some shout-outs to the villagers who helped me live to see another day.
To Dylan and Riley: Thank you for understanding when I had to reschedule our special trip to the Naples Zoo. Thank you for playing in my bed for two hours in the morning while I rested (horizontally with my eyes closed). Thank you, Dylan, for understanding how quickly we needed to get in and out of the toy store (a consolation for the postponed trip to the zoo and, in hindsight, a really, really bad idea), and for trying to help your brother, Mr. Indecision, pick a toy as fast as possible. (In the end, I agreed to buy Riley a large bag of plastic pastel Easter eggs just to get out of there.) Thank you, Riley, for asking me if I felt better every time I got out of bed. Thank you, Dylan, for bringing me a bowl of crackers when I finally felt like my stomach could handle it. Thank you.
To Grandpa Tom and Grandma Barbara: Thank you for coming to my rescue after I nearly passed out in the parking lot at Toys R Us. At that point, it was adrenaline – and adrenaline alone – that enabled me to get the boys home safely with their Star Wars toys (and plastic Easter eggs). Thank you for entertaining them, feeding them, and watching Star Wars with them (with Dylan’s scene by scene narration) while I slept for the entire afternoon. Thank you for dropping what you were doing to help me out. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
To Daddy: Thank you for getting home from work early, for cleaning up the horrible mess that spread through the house during the day, mostly due to the plastic Easter egg explosion, and for getting the over-tired kids to bed. Thank you for finally convincing Riley to poop and for managing his “I want one more new cup of water” horror show at bedtime. Thank you.
To Aunt Heather: Thank you for taking the boys on an exciting water taxi adventure today. Even though the trip was planned long before the bug invaded my body, the timing was perfect.
Today, I’m a Grateful Mama for my health, coffee, and, most of all, my village.
The Runaway Mama by Jen Gregory 