I spend a good amount of time every day trying to ward off the millions of miniscule bacteria and viruses that tirelessly try to attack and invade our susceptible bodies. This is especially so as we brace for the winter months. Whether it be frequent hand-washing or the obsessive use of Purell, I feel like I’m doing my part to stop the haphazard spread of germs. My children, however, seem determined to do their part to reverse every last one of my efforts.
Yesterday I was fifteen minutes into the small group session of a Bible study I’m doing at our church when my pager went off alerting me to return to the nursery. Not only had I just recently regained my breath after our arduous trek from the far reaches of the parking lot into the building, but I had also not noticed any unusual symptoms in either child when I left the house 45 minutes earlier. Yet, somewhere between the threshold of our door at home and snack time in the 2-year old class, Toddler 2 had acquired a fever, turned pale, and lost her appetite. How does this happen?
Fortunately, our doctor’s office is very nearby, and we were able to make a quick stop by there to rule out anything like Strep or a bacterial infection that would need intervention. And, ironically, it was there in that very setting that I started thinking about how incredible it is that both girls aren’t sick more often.
Children do the grossest of things. Things like use a communal crayon, lay and/or roll around on the waiting room floor, page through a sticky book in the exam room, play with a few shared toys, touch the underside of decade-old chairs as well as the top of a trash can, and then… eat a “found” cracker before their mother can snatch it from the grips of their grimy little hands. Help us.
While my hands are literally cracking from all my preventative hand-sanitizing measures, the girls are drinking out of this:
And sucking on this:
Or this:
And, it just seems like my efforts might be largely in vain.
As it turns out, Toddler 2 has a virus of some sort that is mild but highly contagious. The comedic highlight of the day was when the well-meaning doctor told Toddler 1 to be sure and not get too close to her sister for a few days. Of course she won’t.
Oh, well. Thank you, Lord, for good bacteria and the miracle that is our immune system.
Here’s to hoping you have a healthy weekend!
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