I’ll say it again. My wife is some kind of super hero. She would have to be. About two months ago I blogged about this phenomena for which I’m becoming more and more acutely aware. That was after I had two back to back trips and she endured caring for our ever-changing and wonderfully active son with grace and a stresslessness to marvel at. I now remark on her hero status because last week she was able to expertly care for my son and somehow keep me and my flu quarantined from the both of them.
For me it was a different kind of paralyzed helplessness. It’s one thing to be on a business trip, knowing that I’m literally miles away from being able to be tangibly helpful. Now I was in plain view, or at least a modified plain view with a mask on and at least one flight of stairs away from them at all times. To be physically present and still unable to help in any way was painful. I will say, I took solace in my being home for these three days instead taking the trip I was scheduled to take – because I would have missed another unparalleled week of development in my son. In three days he began legitimately walking with his walker, started putting his toys away after bathtime, started espousing new sounds and pseudo words, and birthed a new tooth! I would have returned to a totally different child. That said, I still couldn’t enjoy him upclose.
Somehow, my superhero of a wife cared for our near 1yr old son, our near 12yr old dog, herself, and her sick husband. She kept the house incredibly disinfected, I wore a mask if I ever needed to be on the same floor as them, I washed my hands religiously, she washed their hands religiously, I ate in my bedroom, I worked in my bedroom, I slept alone. And all this because my son getting the flu at this young age would have been dangerous and a nightmare for sure. But just as impactful – my wife, the keeper of this home getting the flu would have surely had the greatest impact on our ability to function!
And neither got my flu! I kept it to myself! And just three days later, when I would have returned from my business trip, I returned from my flu having been able to witness firsthand what it looks like and what it feels like when I’m absent. Not once have I ever doubted the prowess of my wife. Still another thing to see her in action as if I wasn’t there. I rest assured that we are in the care of a superhero.