In Sickness and In Health...

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

Nurse Boy came home last night thinking he was on his death bed. Are you feeling me, ladies? You know the look: watery eyes, a red nose, and ugly red sweats. No, I am not talking about jolly old Saint Nick. Oh. No. I. Am. Not. Nothing jolly about this miserable man.

He kept mumbling something about a sore throat, a runny nose, and all of his aches and pains. Wades of Kleenex surrounded him. He plopped himself down on the couch, where I served him his dinner. After he filled his belly, he rolled over and went to sleep. At 7PM. While the kids ran circles around the couch for the rest of the night. While I cleaned the kitchen, ran the dishwasher, bathed the kids, read to the kids, made lunches, packed snacks for the kindergarten class, and laid everyone down. Only to come downstairs to put Nurse Boy to bed and work on the dreaded Christmas cards that won't stamp, address, and mail themselves.

I am not heartless. I KNOW Nurse Boy feels awful. But, he has a COLD. He WILL live. Why does he think it is the end when he gets sick once a year? He never gets sick, but when he does...HOLD ON. Me, on the other hand, I seem to get whatever the kids bring home with them. Nursing them back to health doesn't always pay off for me. And, when I am sick it seems the sympathy well has dried up. (So, I am being a little dramatic. I AM a woman, what do you expect? Plus, you haven't seen nothing yet until you have been in our home with a sick Nurse Boy.)

The worst part about MOM getting sick? SHE still has to work. SHE has to clean, do laundry, pack lunches, plan meals, cook dinner, etc. SHE doesn't get to call in sick, EVER. And, by "SHE," I of course mean ME.

In all fairness, Nurse Boy tossed and turned all night long. He then got up and went to work. I guess that says something about his work ethic. Or, maybe his desire to contaminate the rest of the hospital. I am expecting him home early. In bed with a box of Kleenex. With a bell or cell phone by his side to contact the catering service in our home when he has a need.

I will be a good wife tonight. Maybe again tomorrow. Please, Lord, let this past quickly. It will be for the best for our marriage and my sanity.

I do love you, Nurse Boy. I just didn't know EXACTLY what I was committing to when I said, "in SICKNESS and in health." In all fairness, you men do give that phrase a whole new meaning! Where was that little tidbit of information in our premarital counseling?