Finding Beauty in Illness

The plague has visited our house this week and if that wasn't bad enough allergies came along with it.  Like unwanted guests, they seem destined to never leave.  Luckily Miss S has been spared the worst of it, but even she is being assaulted by pollen.  Yesterday while "resting" my eyes on the couch and feeling terribly sorry for myself, I started to wonder how one feels beautiful when they are brought down by a common virus. It's especially hard to feel good when the face looking back at you in the mirror looks even worse then you feel.

Thinking I might feel better if I pampered myself, I headed upstairs to take a bath.  All my luxurious bath products would have to wait, since the mere smell/sight of them gave me a headache.  As I slipped into the tub I was shivering, I just couldn't get the water warm enough.  Finally the water warmed up and I relaxed.  Less then a minute later I felt like I was having the mother of all hot flashes.  How did this water get so darn hot?  Sweat was poring down my face.  I was sweating in the bathtub...gross!

Since the bath left me feeling worse then when I started, I decided maybe a nice cool face masque would do the trick.  Problem was that my sinuses were so swollen that even touching my face was a miserable experience.  Hmmmm, what to do?  Maybe I should put some makeup on, but the mere though of it was unpleasant at best.

Manicures always make me feel good.  Who doesn't like nice sparkly nails?  I gathered my supplies and sat down to polish my nails.  By now though, I was so exhausted I just didn't have the energy or desire to do my nails.  About this point I gave up.  I came to the conclusion that you just can't feel beautiful when you're sick.

I laid down in bed to participate in one big pity party when Miss S slipped into the room.  She laid down on the bed with me and cuddled.  She then whispered in my ear, "I love you Mommy".  That was all it took.  I felt like the most beautiful woman in the world.  Four little words and my head didn't hurt as bad, my body didn't ache nearly as much and my sinuses just seemed a mild irritant.  My world changed focus onto the beautiful girl cuddled up against me and I realized all is right in the world.