Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Notes in the meantime

At work, stealing a moment to check in here. The graduation was lovely, the sun was hot, the graduate stunningly beautiful, a beaming glorious vision, resembling her grandmother at that age. That she brought my mother so vividly to mind was a gift, as if my mom was there with us, looking through her. Her dad and mom and many relatives and her young man traveled across an ocean and drove for hours to watch her walk in her cap and gown, choking up as the speakers struck up "Pomp and Circumstance."

My son was sick with the flu and almost didn't make the graduation, but he showered and dosed himself up with Dayquil and came out for an hour. Afterward we took him back to the hotel and put him to sleep in the plush white bedding, and plied him with liquids and medicines and soup and crackers until the fever broke. We left him watching Myth Busters and feeling headachy and nauseous when we went to dinner in the fancy Tuscan restaurant that was conveniently located within the hotel. Still, that was an improvement from when we first saw him on Saturday, trembling hot and clammy and upchucking periodically, skinny from not eating in days.

My heart seized the way my heart always seizes when one of my babies is sick. This was the sickest he had been since the start of college. Relief flooded me when he said he wanted to come home with us on Monday for a few days because I hadn't yet sorted out how I was going to leave him there, still sick. As it happened, by Monday morning, he was almost back to normal. Today, with no medicine in his system, he is fine. His sister and his cousin knew he was pretty much mended last night when he started teasing and annoying them. It is a deep comfort to have them all home. I will be back to upload pictures from the weekend and the graduation as soon as the work on my desk is moved to the next stage. It piles up quick.




14 comments:

  1. Sounds like fun -- except for the sick son. I'm glad that he's feeling better, that your niece reminded you of your mama and that all is well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elizabeth, thank you, friend. All is well with the kids, but in the elder wing of the family all is not at all well. i don't have the heart right now to write about it, but i will at some point. my mom is okay tho. and my aunt winnie is status quo. the sick son is as if it never happened! youth.

      Delete
  2. Congrats to your "baby" girl on a successful graduation! And I'm glad that your boy is feeling better too. I'm only pissed that I didn't catch the Flu at all this year. I would love to be "skinny from not eating in days".
    There's always next year I guess.
    m.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ah, mark, you can always find the silver lining. or at least the cloak you wear obviously has one. my lining must be made of lead or something because the flu and not eating for days does not budge the needle on my scale. maybe next year. xo

      Delete
  3. Beautiful reflection, sister Lister. Thank you for sharing this. Glad Brother is better and that Sister brought St. Lucia to you in that special way. Good. Great. Awesome.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kimberly, the boy is better than ever and asleep on my couch as I write this. peace incarnate. xo

      Delete
  4. He saved being sick until he knew his mama was coming. I believe that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know, Ms. Moon, i think that is exactly what he did. he let the sick in because he knew the calvary was coming to town and he could ride off to new york with us and be pampered for a while. it gets tiring being a grown up. i wouldn't mind a calvary coming for me. love you.

      Delete
  5. So glad for you that everyone is home, and that your son is feeling well enough to be annoying. :)

    Take care of yourself too, dear Angella.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The calvary! That makes me smile.

    xo dd

    ReplyDelete