the not-so-common cold...

Well, my kick-butt immune system has finally failed me. I virtually never get sick, and in fact, I went all winter without so much as a sniffle. But here I am, with a cold in July! The indignity.

It's funny, because those of you who know me know that I have a really hard time just relaxing or resting or taking it easy (or whatever similar phrase you prefer). When I had mono in high school, I was aghast at the thought of missing school, despite the urgings of my parents and doctor. So, I soldiered on, choosing one day each week to stay home. I chose the day with the lightest schedule - no tests, etc. I hated even taking that one day a week, but I had to do something to appease the authority figures. :) It seemed like a good compromise to me, but my doctor thought I was "overly driven to succeed."

In the intervening years, I really haven't changed, but now, finally, as I get a bit older, I'm realizing that when I get sick, I feel exhausted and crappy for a reason, and maybe it's not the wisest thing to ignore that. (Man, what a run-on sentence! You'll find those a lot in my writing.) A couple of days ago, before I even knew I had a cold, I was just BEAT! Totally exhausted, and I didn't know why. But, I actually spent the morning sleeping - in bed, on the couch, on the futon. I just sort of moved around the house, not wanting any piece of furniture to feel left out. The main reason for this change of heart is my husband - he is so supportive, and to him, it makes total sense that if I'm sick, I should rest. He doesn't begrudge me the rest, and even urges me to take it. He is slowly but surely changing my thinking and helping me to become easier on myself and more forgiving of the egregious sin (in my warped mind) of unproductivity.

I guess that I never really believed before that it takes all of my body's energy to fight an illness. And maybe when I was younger, it didn't, but now it really seems to! In my case, I really must have a helluvan immune system, because I feel like something the cat dragged in. It's really in there, fighting the good fight. And I have finally realized that if I do give in and sleep and rest, it helps me to feel better later and not get so run-down. I slept much of the day yesterday, too, and I took a siesta today, as well. I just gave in, and it felt kind of good. I have finally admitted that I, Amy Jane, cannot conquer all, and that sometimes, I just have to admit that I'm sick and tired and go sleep it off. Yes, I still feel guilty and worry about everything I have to get done, and fear that my to-do list will just snowball and get out of control, but I don't give in to those worries, and I guess that's the first step. Now, if only the day would come when I don't even worry.....fat chance! :)

The moral to this long, rather boring story is that we should all realize (if we haven't already) that taking it easy when we're sick is not a sign of weakness, but rather a wonderful favor that we should do for ourselves. It will help us get through the illness faster and feel as good as we can while we're enduring it. Resting during sickness is not a sin! You have no idea how huge it is for me to be saying that.

Did you have any idea that someone could blather on for so long about a common cold? :) I sure didn't.