As I write this, I'm laying here in bed amongst a sea of empty water bottles, blankets, and cracker crumbs. I look like what I would imagine a mix between Vernon Dursley and Casper the Ghost would look like. Yikes. I am feeling particularly homesick at this moment and I came to the realization that the absolute worst thing about going to college far away (or really just moving out of your parents house in general) is not having your mom to baby you when you're sick. I will spare everyone the details of my current ailment, but believe me, it's ugly. This is the first time I have genuinely felt homesick in my whole first year of college. And Mom, if you're reading this, I am so sorry that you went so under-appreciated when I was sick at home. Sure, I'd like to pretend that I'm a big tough adult, but right now, I feel like a sickly 5 year old without a mother. Here are the 3 biggest reasons why being away from your mom when you're sick is LITERALLY the worst thing ever:
1. Mom always cooked me chicken noodle soup and gave me Gatorade when I was sick.
Strength to get out of bed and cook soup on stove and clean dishes? Not even a possibility. Do I even have a stove? Nope. Better yet, do I even have soup or a clean bowl? That's a negative. I'm so sorry, Mom, I never realized how much effort it took to pull a simple can of soup together. You always had soup, Gatorade, Ginger Ale, and saltines stocked in the house in case I got sick. Even though it was just a can of soup, it now means so much more to me. It always made me feel better and feel all warm inside. I'm sorry I didn't thank you more.
2. Mom always checked on me and cuddled me and made sure I was doing ok when I was sick.
People at college act like you have the Black Plague when you say you aren't feeling well and teachers do not accept illness as a legitimate excuse for missing class. Everyone who I told I was sick today took at LEAST one step back from me after I told them. Not you, though. You didn't leave my side and always hugged me and felt my head for a fever. With your autoimmune disease, you're at MUCH greater risk of getting extremely sick than any other people. However, that never stopped you. I'm sorry I didn't hug you back harder. I did not realize that everyone is not as kind to me for being sick as you are.
3. Mom always put me first, listened to all my complaints and catered to all of my needs when I was sick.
If I needed a cold rag, or my "puke can" dumped and cleaned, I didn't even have to ask you. Now I have to muster up the strength to get out of bed and do it for myself. It didn't seem like that big of a deal: I'm your kid and it's your job to take care of me. That being said, you didn't have to be as good to me as you were. You ran to the store to grab me anything I needed or wanted, let me sleep the entire day, let me complain about the same thing over and over again while patiently listening and offering help and never got irritated or impatient with me. I probably didn't deserve that, but I can't thank you enough for doing that for me.
So, younger people reading this, please be grateful towards your mom nurse. There is no one else that does it quite like they do.
Thank you Mom, I love you and I'm so so very sorry for being a grumpy slug.
