Y’all! It. Has. Been. A. Week!
HFM for one kid and the an intense stomach virus/bug for the other. With Vishnu out of town this weekend to top it off.
If I’m being completely honest, I definitely threw myself an elaborate pity party and stayed there for a while. It’s not the sicknesses that get to me. Those are a part of kids going to school…and being a parent. It’s the kids having to miss out on stuff because of the sicknesses, especially Kaiden. I feel bad that he hasn’t seen his friends in a while or that we have to keep bowing out of stuff because someone is not feeling good.
I told my friend Monica this the other day, and she acknowledged and validated my feelings, but then she also got real with me, which is something I love about her. She basically said that if it’s not us it’s someone else. These feelings are a part of the ride, and that we’re super lucky to have the group of friends we have…people we actually want (and want our kids) to spend time with.
Her words rang true on so many levels, so I grabbed my bag and ran out of my own party!
And then I started a ‘what’s good?’ list because I needed to refocus my mind on everything that went/is going well…because there’s definitely more good than not.
So here are a few things I came up with…
- Even though the HFM and stomach bug sucked big time, both are curable. Also, given the severity of each, both kids actually fared ok and were in decent spirits.
- My parents are able to and want to help me when needed. Even though this wasn’t the weekend I had in mind, I’m so thankful they were around to help me. Definitely couldn’t have done it on my own.
- Even though it feels like we’re always missing out, we have so many more opportunities coming up to hang out with our friends. We’re lucky to have the friends we have.
- Despite the craziness that was Saturday, I got to celebrate a dear friend of mine and her engagement. Seeing how happy she was reminded me of what really matters in life.
- Vishnu had a really good time in Vegas (well-deserved too), BUT NOW HE’S BACK!!! Phew!
- Even though I had a few very minor stomach bug type symptoms, I was unaffected overall by the HFM (thank goodness). Vishnu also got some symptoms while on his trip, but they lasted less than 24 hour thankfully.
- Mila loves her new classroom and teacher at school. She may be bringing home all the bugs but at least she’s happy!
- Kaiden also still loves school, and told me the other day, “I don’t like Saturdays because there’s no school on Saturdays.” He’ll change his mind soon enough, but I’ll take it for now.
- We’re going to the Trevor Noah show this Friday, and I AM SO EXCITED. He’s pretty much my celebrity crush! We went to his show in Chicago, and it was amazing, so I have high hopes!
- Even though sick kids disrupt work and routine, I’m so lucky to not be tethered to a corporate job right now. I’m finding that what I do now and the way I do it + the time I get with the kids is a good blend for me at this time. I’m not 100% anything right now, but that works because I love both parts of my life and glad to have them come to life in different ways.
So yeah…things are good! Sometimes they feel hard when I get overwhelmed but honest conversations with close friends and a solid ‘what’s good?’ list set me straight!
If you’re going through a challenging time right now, I’m sending BIG HUGE HUGS your way. Maybe a list will help, maybe a good convo with a good friend, maybe a pity party…whatever it is that you need, take the time and do it because you and your feelings matter.
Sending lots of love!
Hi Parita! It sounds like you’ve had a rough week with the HFM and stomach bug going around. But, it’s great to hear that you have such a supportive group of friends and family to help you through it. I especially love your approach to finding the good in the midst of it all by creating a “what’s good?” list. That’s such a positive and uplifting way to refocus your mind. Sending you big hugs and hoping that you have a much smoother week ahead!
Thank you so much! I appreciate your kind comment!