Sickbed humor

For anyone keeping score, today was my EIGHTH day in bed with what I have now learned is the “norovirus.”  Although I’m feeling much more human today, I’m still coughing a lot and feeling exhausted, so I’m going to spend one more day working from home.  Then the weekend to rest and hopefully I’ll be good as new.  And not contagious.

In the meantime, my co-workers have kept me laughing through this whole thing.  Which I keep telling them is dangerous, because I might cough up a lung.  But at least they’re keeping me in good spirits!  🙂

• They’ve taken to calling me “Typhoid Carey,” not least of all because I was recently in Boston, which is now under a state of emergency for the flu.
• This morning I realized that I made numerous snarky remarks around Christmas time – when you could hardly turn around without being assaulted by another version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” – about wanting my “long winter’s nap.”
  “When is MY long winter’s nap, dammit?!?” I might have said once…or twice…or more.
  Well, careful what you wish for, because apparently Santa Claus found me to deliver the long-awaited nap…even though I’m Jewish.
• In one conversation, a colleague at work was checking up on me and asked if he could have anyone bring me anything.  He offered up our most notoriously hypochondriacal co-worker as my nursemaid until I was all better.  🙂  He also admonished me to stop eating gas station sushi.  —-  Okay, I’ve been able to keep food down for five or six days now, and that suggestion still makes me want to toss my cookies!
• Yesterday another co-worker – the gentleman who sits facing me in the office, and who has a somewhat edgy sense of humor – called me at home and asked why I was gone. “Don’t you know that you’re my muse?  Where are you?  Why aren’t you thinking about MEEEEE?”  Heehee.  I have to admit, that made me giggle.
• This morning I learned about the “norovirus” and saw that one doctor called it “the Ferrari of the virus world.”  Oops.  I think I threw up all over my new Ferrari.  Oh well.

Today I made the major leap from bedroom to living room couch for most of the day.  I got a lot of work done.  I got a lot of laughing in (oh, if only I could tell you about the picture I received today as a submission for the bridal guide that made me laugh hardest of all…unfortunately I think that would be a little unprofessional and entirely mean.  But it definitely counts as a small miracle of humor!)

And just moments ago, a dear friend from high school posted this on my Facebook wall:

A perfect way to end the day.  Thanks, Meghen – let’s pull a louie!

Today’s miracle: Laughter IS the best medicine!  🙂

***

OH – and one more thing…I saw this post on Facebook yesterday that had me melting in tears of joy and gratitude for the goodness in the world.  I checked it out, and it’s a true story.  Some of you have probably already seen it, but for those who haven’t:

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so, and she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies.’ Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away.

Abbey isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I’m easy to find. I am wherever there is love.

Love, God