1.17.2010

catching health

As I sat sharing a bowl of soup with my sick little Noah last night, it crossed my mind that maybe I should be a little cautious about not catching his croupy cough. But I hardly ever get sick, and what he has, Taylor had last week. If I haven't caught it by now, I think my chances of getting it are pretty slim. It seems like the sort of sickness only children get. I can't remember the last time I saw an adult with a croupy cough. You? I do ask that you not throw this post in my face if next week I come down with one. Just be sympathetic, even if I did bring it on myself.

And as we sat there sharing soup (guys, stop thinking mean thoughts about this... it's really hard to hold a sick child and 2 bowls and we were both starving:) and I was thinking about the germs I was catching, I had another thought. Wouldn't it be nice if we could catch health? If by sharing this soup I was actually passing on my physical well-being to my miserable little son? Why can't it be that way? When someone gets cancer, we lovingly surround them and just by breathing the same air they "catch" the health of our organs. I have no doubt the nurturing I give to my kids makes their illnesses more bearable, and maybe even shortens it's duration. But what if instead of a humidifier and hot liquids, all it would take to heal Noah was me sleeping in his bed, holding him and breathing with him. Wouldn't that be wonderful? That my healthy air inside his lungs would stimulate an improved condition overnight?

I realize it's an odd thought, but I just wish it could be so.

6 comments:

  1. ohh your boys are too cute! such a beautiful family.

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  2. ok, I know this is a little out there, but I once read that nursing babies can actually "catch health" from us. Our bodies detect the illness in their saliva when they nurse and then produce additional antibodies to help them fight it. If we can produce prescriptions in our milk (without even knowing it), why not in our breath?

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  3. I am new to your blog. A friend said it was great. I have to agree. I love your blog and your other blog you do with your mom. You are an amazing, positive person who doesn't even realize what a big sister you are to so many people. I love your thoughts and ponders. Thank you so much. My kid is just barely getting over being sick and this post is just icing on the cake to endure another day with a positive attitude. Thanks again.
    Ashly McGee

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  4. That would be amazing..I like the idea of catching health. It's amazing what a bowl of warm soup can do!

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  5. I like the idea... in some ways I think it does work that way =).

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  6. That would be AWESOME if you could give health just by being near! At least you can be certain that your loving really does make a difference to those pitiful sweet little sick boys. I can still remember what it felt like to be sick at 5 and you know, all I really wanted was my mom to snuggle me to sleep :)

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what do you think?