Reflections of a Convalescent

by Julia Buckley
I got socked with a cold last Thursday, or possibly a flu disguised as a cold. It was one of those things that my children absorbed in that special germ factory known as grade school, and then brought home to me.

Because of it, I didn't grade essays and I didn't write blogs; therefore I'll just share a quick list, now, of things I thought of while I convalesced.

1) Neither children nor animals care if you are sick. A sad reality, perhaps, but I suppose it makes sense if you're a child or an animal. You have to be fed, and preferably entertained, as well.

2) Sickness is perhaps the only time you will have a really good reason to just sit around and read a book (I'm reading Phyllis A. Whitney's GUIDE TO FICTION WRITING). However, it's also the time you're most likely to fall asleep over that book, no matter how good it is. A real Catch-22.

3) Even when you're sick, you can be in a good mood. I was heartened by many things this weekend, one of which was a great quote from the book I mentioned in #2. Phyllis A. Whitney advised me that "Good fortune and unexpected opportunities are always coming along. Perhaps opportunity is like a train on an endless track. Now and then it makes a stop at your station, often without fanfare, and without warning."

4) A great pick-me-up when you're a bit down in the mouth is an escape to the movies. Not only did the boys take me (and my cough drops and my big box of Lotioned Kleenex) to see VANTAGE POINT, a nice little escape into Thrillerville, but we also got to watch the Oscars this evening and hear some lovely acceptance speeches that are all about believing in your dreams.

5) Even when the germs are bad (and they are BAD this year), it's a blessing to know that colds and flus go away, and health will return. I know I'll feel pretty good when this pops up on Monday morning, and I'm grateful.

6) Another advantage of illness is that someone else sometimes steps forward to make the dinner. My husband made spaghetti with homemade meatballs and it was delicious. I think I may ask him to become the permanent chef. :)


One last note; I managed to finish a fun interview with Sean Chercover this weekend, and it's viewable at Mysterious Musings.

Now have a good week, all of you, and keep those germs at bay. If you succumb, however, I can recommend the Buckley's Cough Syrup. I tried it based on their commercial, and guess what? It really worked.