Over the last week, Aidan and I have been sharing the fellowship of the sick, which, let's be honest, is as enjoyable as sour milk on the way up. We seem to both be coming out of it at about the same time, which is really good news for the whole family.
Now Aidan can stop waking himself up a half dozen times a night with his hyena cough, I can stop coaxing him back to sleep with my bleary eyes and swollen schnoz, Lindsay can take off her nurse cap and stop treating us like invalids (invalids need extra sleep, special foods, frequent expressions of love--and also, they are always right), I can kick my new meds habit, and Asher can stop constantly brewing us Throat Coat tea and serving it in demitasse cups.
It's amazing how being sick reduces the scope of your world. My perspective on life is frequently not what it should be--especially when I am sitting in a warm, dimly-lit classroom, right after lunch--but a persistent flu bug makes the horizon truly narrow. Maybe this is especially true when you feel an existential burden to think about the future at least a dozen times a day. When your body aches, your sinuses and your throat are conspiring to do gruesome things, and the night is not long enough, "future plans" seem like a bad joke. Add to the equation a sick, exhausted baby, the the joke sinks to the level of graveside humor.
Well, this was going to be one of those I was sick / now I'm better / look for those book reviews post, but it got away from me.
In conclusion, I guess I'm reminded of how big a chunk of our "spiritual health" is wound up in our physical well-being. Going through these sick-as-a-dog-days, I'm thinking about making our life as a family more deliberate, placing a greater emphasis on getting adequate sleep,* avoiding the emotional numbness that creeps in and makes the world an unpromising place to live.
Right now, a healthier physicality may be the most strategic spiritual discipline I can tackle.
* Right, we have a couple boys in diapers, so I'm being a little idealistic.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Flu Philosophy: Physical Spiritual Bodies
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1 comments:
Hey, Arie, just wanted to leave a comment while I have the chance. Glad to hear that you two are starting to do better, I definitely agree with your pointing out the connectedness of our spiritual and physical beings. I'm glad, though, that Lindsay and Asher were there to take care of you. That's nice to hear about and imagine. With a smile, Daniel.
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