I have spent the last two days home sick, mostly in my bed, alternating between shivering and sweating. I must have jinxed myself because I just told someone this weekend that I hadn't really been sick in my entire first two years of teaching.
I've always thought of myself as an independent person. I can take care of myself and don't feel the need to rely on others. That's most likely why I've been single my whole life. I never felt the need to be with anyone. I take care of myself financially. I rarely feel lonely. I like to make my own decisions. By the age of 24, most females in my life have been married with families, but that always felt unnecessary to me. I had a career and education and friends for social activities and family for holidays.
For the first time in my adult life, as I was miserable in my bed at 2:00 in the afternoon, I really wanted someone else there.
Practically, there was no reason for this. I knew that I needed to drink plenty of liquids and get sleep. I was able to take medicine and make myself soup. If someone had been there, they wouldn't have been able to do anything about my condition. In fact, I would probably just spread my virus onto them. I called my mom both days anyway and, even though she just gave me advice I already knew, her advice made me feel better. I still checked my work emails and my Facebook just to feel remotely connected to other people.
Coincidentally, I just watched an episode of the show Pure Genius this week about a woman in the hospital getting a serious surgery and no one was there with her. The patient said she didn't want to bother friends and family when they had other things in their life to deal with other than worrying about her. She learned the same lesson I learned this week though. Doctors and medicine and water may cure your body, but it's other people that replenish your soul.
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