Blessed Luxury

My tummy virus is either not the 24 hour type or is as lazy as I am and refuses to budge. I've been going back and forth with it all day - either I feel fine or I'm doubled over with sharp pains which may be nothing more than too much Imodium and my digestive system believing that the equivalent of a little Dutch boy's finger plugging up a leaking dike has transpired.

At any rate I had things to accomplish today - laundry and a trip to the bakery. A bathroom to scrub. The general care and cleaning of my husband. B's physiotherapist had her regular Wednesday appointment with him and once she was gone I lost no time in pulling the bedroom shades in order to block out the afternoon sun that would otherwise cause me to burst into flames and laid down to take a nap. I know from past experience that when my tummy is acting cranky the best thing for me is to curl up and just sleep.

And it was perfect! I had the windows open and the breeze was floating in making the air in the room just the right temperature. I could hear the birds singing and the occasional car drive down the street but instead of disturbing me it was more like white noise. And as I lay there about to drift off I could only think about how lucky I was. Not just lucky. Absolutely blessed. There I was, not feeling very well but not so sick that it was completely ruining my day. I had been able to finish my chores and errands without too much trouble and I had hours free with which I could sooth myself with a nap. In my comfortable home. On my comfortable bed. With sweet, comfortable air surrounding me. Back in the days when I used to work in an office there were times when I would have cried and begged and paid money to be able to take a nap when I wasn't feeling well and now here I was able to do it with nothing more being required of me than to decided to do it. How my fortunes have changed!

And then I thought of those who aren't as lucky and blessed as I am. Friends who have a chronic illness and they still have to show up at their offices every day. Or what about the people who live in poverty? Refugees without a home. Victims of nature's wrath who used to not have a pot to piss in nor a window to throw it from and now they really don't have a thing to their names. I don't want to feel guilty that I have things they don't and have the luxury to be able to sleep in the middle of the afternoon for no other reason than I want to but I have to at least acknowledge that I lead a lucky life. A blessed life. A privileged life. Jeez, I was so grateful for that time that I could rest that I could have cried.

And it worked. Ninety minutes later the tummy troubles were improved and I could get on with my day. My nap made me feel so much better. Except for the part of my legs that laid in in the path of the sun that was streaming through the side of the window shade. They nearly burst into flames.