I’m extra thankful for my husband this week. I’m not thankful because he bought me roses or took me on a fancy date, I’m thankful because he gave me a break. It was the most meaningful Valentine’s Day gift he ever could have given me.
Our son CJ frequents the doctor for various issues – throat infections, ear infections, and a persistent cough. As of right now, he’s seen a specialist and has surgery booked for the end of the year, but until then we’re in the same routine we have been for the last 4 Winters. To be honest, it’s miserable. I’ve come to dread Winter. Every time it starts to get cold, I know exactly what will happen. I’ll be sent on an endless journey to find a way for my son to feel better.
I’ve developed anxiety directly related to my son being sick.
Every time I hear his cough start up or can tell he isn’t quite himself, I panic. I’ve associated those things with having to miss work, falling behind, not sleeping, running him from appointment to appointment, and just being stressed in general. It’s exhausting and absolutely defeating.
Being a working wife and mother is tough.
Some days it can feel like the same cycle over and over, while others feel like there’s a new crisis every hour. There’s no middle ground. My husband helps as much as he can, but because my job is significantly more flexible than his, I’m usually the one trying to orchestrate the chaos. He’s seen me cry when no medication worked, he’s seen me shut down emotionally when I’m overtired, and he’s seen me get angry when I’ve hit my limit.
This past week CJ developed a cough yet again. It worsened over the weekend and I began to panic – with a busy work week ahead, would I have to call out yet again? Would he miss Valentine’s Day at school? Would we sleep at all this week?
As soon as that anxiety set it, my husband did something that means more to me than any flowers or chocolates or date ever could. He packed up our son and drove him to the nearest clinic open on a Saturday – 40 minutes away. It took 2 hours, but he showed up around dinner time with a prescription in his hand. The sense of relief I felt is more than I can even put in to words. I wouldn’t have to wake up Monday morning and frantically call our family doctor to squeeze him in. I could sleep soundly.
Here we are now. Although the cough is still present, my mind is at ease knowing that CJ isn’t actually sick. I don’t feel anxious at all, and I have my husband to thank for that.
It’s the most meaningful Valentine’s Day gift I could have asked for.