Those of you who follow my posts regularly may have noticed that I had taken a hiatus from writing. I prefer to think of this time as a life lesson that I will hold on to forever.
At the beginning of January, I was diagnosed with Pertussis, also known as whooping cough. Although it was not a life-threatening ailment, it certainly became life-altering.
When I was originally diagnosed, my doctor informed me that it could take up to four months before I felt better. I admit to laughing it off, as there is no way anything could keep me down for that long.
Turns out, she wasn’t as crazy as I thought.
Through one of my coughing jags, I managed to knock my jaw out of alignment which led to a whole new world of issues. For the first time ever, I experienced migraines, which ultimately kept me in bed for days at a time.
The solution: Vicodin (we’ll talk about this at a later time).
During this time I slipped into sheer survival mode, barely meeting the basic needs of my children. The laundry piled up, the emails went unanswered, and my house was certainly anything but a well-oiled machine.
My husband was amazing and took on the brunt of everyday life.
Two months later, through the help of my doctor, as well as alternative treatments, I am finally on the upswing.
What I realized during this time is that I really take all of the little things in my life for granted.
I missed my children horribly; the conversations to and from school, the arguments at the dinner table, and the snuggle-time before bed.
I missed being a mom.
For the past two days, I have hung out with my boys in the front yard. We have played basketball, thrown the ball for the dog, and I even learned how to use the new Razor scooter.
If I even gestured toward the front door, my kids would immediately ask, “Where are you going, Mom?”
With a smile on my face I responded, “Absolutely nowhere.”
Sometimes you need to have it all stripped away, to realize how fortunate you truly are.
My children are a gift. My time with them is a gift. Being a mom is a gift.
And for this, I am eternally grateful.
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