In sickness and in Health

Contemporary family life is a lot of balancing (hence the name of my blog: Balancing Act). Me time. We time. Focused time with each child. All of us time. Out with friends time. It's a near constant trading of favors, trying to make sure everyone's needs and desires are met often enough so that no one is stretched too thin. 

It's a lot of work, even when we're all well. 

The Sweetman has been sick these past few days. A week before that I was sick. A week before that the eldest daughter was sick. Boy has it been a month! Even as I take a moment to kvetch about it, I know that I am fortunate, because none of these illnesses were life-threatening or longer than a week in duration. But, still, it's been challenging.

Since Sweetman is ill, this weekend it fell upon me. All of it. Whatever it happened to be.  Grocery shopping, dog walking, child cleaning, taxi driving, birthday partying, meal preparing, laundry doing, errand running, dish-washing, on and on and on.

It was tough, but I made it. And Sweetman is on the mend. (He felt good enough today to be restless and feel a little bored.) So, only three days later, I can see the light at the end of this particular tunnel.

So, I think, how do single parents do this? When the light at the end of the tunnel is fifteen more years away (when the kid goes to college).  I was a single parent for two years. And I had incredible support from my mother and father. And it was still damnably difficult. So, to the women and men I know who do this alone, often without the easy support that I found, I say, Wow. You guys are amazing.

I feel blinded by gratitude for my husband, my sister, my brother-in-law, my father, my mother, my mother-in-law, friends.  Sometimes, it's too much for one person. Thank G-d I have all of you. And here's hoping for the "in health" side of those wedding vows. Soon, please.