The VID

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I've got covid. And it kind of sucks.

I almost hate to even say that because I have July 2022 covid, which so far has been mostly like a horrible cold. I'm coughing. Every once in a while, it's a full-blown coughing fit, but mostly just an occasional deep-chest bark that sounds worse than its bite. I also find myself needing to lie down every once in a while when I realize I simply can't keep my eyes open a minute longer . . . but that's happening less and less often now.

So far, the worst part has been the seven or eight waking hours on Saturday when I was quarantining myself in my bedroom waiting for my daughter to get test results. And y'all, I LIKE my bedroom a lot. It's quite comfortable. Windows to let in light when I want it . . . a little love seat with plenty of cozy blankets and pillows . . . bookshelves with plenty of good books . . . a desk to sit and work at if necessary, and full access to my printer and all of my office supplies . . . a spacious attached bathroom with a tub to soak in . . . and an extremely comfortable king-sized bed. My bedroom is small but cozy. A little oasis, I always thought.


Until I couldn't open the door to leave for several hours. Maybe it was that on top of the general low-grade crappiness I was feeling, but by the time my girl knocked on the door and informed me of her positive test result, I was at the end of myself and couldn't even force out any pity that she was infected, too.

And I hate to complain, y'all. I really hate to complain. As I said, this is July 2022 covid.

I vividly remember March 2020 covid . . . when life came to a halt. Thousands of people overflowing hospitals, dying on ventilators. Dying. Tens of thousands of people dying all over the world. Family members shut out of hospital rooms -- even out of the hospitals -- unable to get accurate information about their loved ones, much less to say goodbye. I did a writing project later that year dealing with trauma healing, and I was researching stories to use. They were devastating. I sobbed as I read them.

But I have July 2022 covid. I'm coughing and need to lie down frequently. There's just no comparison. It almost feels like I need a #blessed hashtag on this.

Nevertheless, it is a hindrance, even it is not a life-threatening one. I have five school meetings this week that now have to go online (thank God we figured out how to do the Zoom thing effectively when all this went down). I have other schoolwork of my own that I really need to get done before I start my two-week drama camp next week and the one-week gap camps the week after (both of which I need to prepare for also). The house is something of a disaster area desperately needing picked up. After a month of travels settling the youngest in her new home, getting the eldest ready to settle elsewhere, and visiting my guy for a few days, I have so stinkin' much I need to do!! I absolutely do NOT have time to be sick right now. What in the world is God thinking?

Sigh . . . yes, I heard that attitude. I suspect what God is thinking is, "Go lie down, girl. I got this."

You know in ancient Israel (and maybe still in Jewish communities today, for all I know), the new day actually began at sundown, not at sunrise. Some Bible teacher I read once said that this was probably because God needed to get us in bed and out of the way so HE could get the work done that needed to happen to start the day.

If God needed me out of the way for a while here, he could have just said so. Well . . . okay, yeah. Maybe it would take something as dramatic as covid to make me step aside.

Forgive me, Lord. I'm not as indispensable as I sometimes think I am.

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