Colds

Now that I am home, everyone in the family has a cold.  I think it is the same cold, shared by all of us.  We all sound miserably the same.  The little ones have snot running down their noses into their mouths (Yum!!), and the oldest hates it.  She comes to her mother each 15 minutes or so, saying in distress, “My nose is running!”, then waits to have her mother help with the tissue to blow her nose.  The baby is oblivious, but sounds so pitiful when nursing.  Even she smears the snot from her nose into her mouth if it is left there too long! 

So, now I feel crappy on top of feeling crappy.  I know it could be worse, and I realize that I am overreacting, but I feel sorry for myself.  I want to be left alone and watch TV, sleep and drink hot tea between the nose blowing sessions.  I have actually done as much of that as I can. But, today it is going to be impossible.  I have to be at work, and have to look as professional as possible.  I am dreading the condolences that may come from others. 

I am still on the verge of tears which well up at any moment.  I watched a video of an elderly couple playing a duet on a piano in the lobby of the Mayo Clinic (why were they there?).  It made me laugh and smile, then the tears came.  It is dangerous to be so emotionally fragile.

Perhaps I will be able to blame the cold that I have for the tears and runny nose that may attack me in public.

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