Letter of Thanks

When Lily was 18 months old I got the flu. Not just any flu, but a knock-down, drag-out killer flu that rendered me completely listless. But like most stay-at-home moms I know, I couldn’t call in sick. I had to take care of my child by myself. I was so ill, however, that at one point I totally passed out on the sofa and woke up a half an hour later, only to see Lily climbing on top of a chair in the living room. I panicked, called my husband and said, “You must come home now.”

In the job description of a SAHM there are no allotted sick days. We may have a few personal days, but those are few and far between. Most friends I know have family nearby, so when they got sick their parents (or in-laws) usually take their kids while they nurse themselves back to health. I have no family nearby, and therefore, unless I am on my deathbed, each time I get sick I have to manage taking cold medicine in between packing lunches and wiping bottoms.

Yesterday, however, an angel saved me. I woke with a fever of 102, chills and a massive ear and sinus infection. The kids were home due to a massive snow and ice storm that pounded our area. I felt so horrible I called my friend J in tears. “Go to the doctor,” she insisted. “And when you do, drop the girls off here. I will keep them all day and you can go home and rest.”

J and I actually met at the doctor’s office almost four years ago. Our kids took a liking to each other and we struck up a conversation. We enjoyed talking to each other so much we exchanged telephone numbers and became fast friends. The family practice we are part of is just a mile and a half from J’s house, so dropping the kids off was easy for me to do.

“Are you sure?” I asked. J has three boys of her own. I could not imagine adding two more kids to the mix, especially on a snow day where the weather was miserable. “Are you kidding me?” she said. “I wanted five kids. Bring them over!” (She’s not kidding, by the way. J loves children and wants at least four kids of her own.)

Reluctantly (but entirely grateful), I did as instructed. I made an appointment for 11:15 a.m. and dropped the girls off beforehand. J fed them lunch, a snack and even a delicious dinner (and made enough for my husband and me to eat at home, which almost made me cry when she handed over the platter of food). I was able to go back to bed after the doctor diagnosed me with a horrible infection. I slept the rest of the afternoon. When I woke up, I felt a thousand times better.

Had J not offered to take my kids I know I would not have felt as good as I did.

This post is a thank you letter to J, my savior. Although typing a few words will never convey how truly thankful I am or how much I appreciated what she did, I will do so nonetheless. I am so lucky to have a friend like J in my life here - someone who knows when I really needed help and who doesn’t hesitate to offer. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you, sister.

Photo by Dominik Gwarek, courtesy of stock.xchng