"Holidays Bring... Sickness" by Elena Goodrow

Happy Winter Solstice and Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating this week! If you are celebrating other holidays I hope they have been the most joyous for all of you. As for myself, I have had a quite nice holiday season albeit busy. The only catch is that I currently have the flu… oh what fun?

This isn’t the first time I happen to get sick at what feels like the worst time, and it most certainly won’t be the last. Between the cold weather and all the additional travelers that come around during the holidays, I always end up getting exposed to new germs. I’m lucky that I have not caught the flu for a quite some time now. I’m also fortunate that at-home flu tests are more readily available than they used to be. The flu, particularly flu A, is no joke. I have not felt this sick in a long time! Luckily I’m on the mend now. My doctor was highly concerned I would need to go to the hospital but luckily I was able to manage at home with extra breathing treatments and very close monitoring of my symptoms.

Being sick around this time of year is difficult. It can result in missing out on family time, participating in holiday events, and overall takes out some of the joy from the season. But we all know how I feel about joy… where there is a will there is a way! Since I haven’t been able to get out of bed I’ve used to opportunity to watch a LOT of Christmas movies. This is definitely helped me feel more joyous.

I’ve also thought back on when I was five years old and spent a couple weeks in the hospital leading up to Christmas day. Fortunately, I got to go home right before the holiday. All of the staff members made sure my stay was full of Christmas magic, even throughout the unfortunate circumstances.

The holiday season can bring so much stress, uncertainity, and sickness. But it can also bring joy! Whether it is a favorite movie, a phone call with a friend, pretty lights, celebrations, or even peaceful quiet time at home, how are you feeling the joy this season?