I’ve had the flu for the past three days. Bedridden.
I haven’t been sick like this in years, so my eight-year-old son has never seen me this, well, needy.
Compassionate and eager to serve, he heard me ask for a piece of toast yesterday.
“Can I take it to her, Papa?” I heard him ask. “Please?”
Apparently he was granted permission, though I didn’t hear the reply. I only heard my son’s steps bounding up the stairs. Thump-thump-thumpa-thumpa-thump.
“Mama?” he asked, bursting through the bedroom door, “do you want one or two pieces?”
“One is fine, thank you,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice low and avoid a coughing fit.
“Okay!” He took off running back down the stairs. Tromp-tromp-tromp-tromp-tromp.
A few seconds later, he returned. Thump-thump-thumpa-thumpa-thump.
“Mama? Do you want butter on your toast? Or anything else?”
“Butter would be nice,” I answered.
“Okay!” Tromp-tromp-tromp-tromp-tromp.
A minute or two later, I heard him returning: thump-thump-thumpa-thumpa-thump.
“Would you like anything else, like an apple cut up?”
“Yes, that would be wonderful.”
Tromp-tromp-tromp-tromp-tromp.
Finally, he came up the stairs slowly and carefully.
Step-pause. Step-pause. Step-pause. Step-pause.
He came through the door with a tray. On the tray, a piece of buttered toast on a plastic Pocahontas plate and a bowl filled with apple slices. It was as if he read my post at NotSoFastBook, “Home Sick? Make the Most of a Forced Rest.”
I felt like a queen.
A sick-as-a-dog queen, but a queen nonetheless.
Blessed by a servant-hearted prince.
(With support from the Belgian Wonder, serving quietly and lovingly in the background)
I’m doing better, obviously, capable of sitting upright at a laptop and tapping out relatively coherent thoughts.
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13 Responses to Served by a Prince
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Blogger: Pursuing a Christ-centered, creative, curious, slightly quirky, slow-down life and sharing it with you, post after post. (Home of Food on Fridays).
Author: Not So Fast: Slow-Down Solutions for Frenzied Families
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I’m glad you’re feeling better Ann. I look back with such sweet memories as I read about your little boy. My little boys are grown and gone – those were such precious days. I remember those eager little hands and voices. Thank you for sharing your little one for a few minutes.
I’m glad you’re starting to feel better, Ann! It sure has been going around…
So sweet!
What a shock to hear you’ve been taken ill. Thank you for allowing us to see you @ perfect peace in the midst of the flu. Your thankful heart is a blessing to me.
Linda: I love your reminisces–it reminds me to enjoy everything right now, in the midst of it, with my children still relatively young (I do have two teens and a tween as well as the 8yo). You’re an encouragement and joy!
Llama Momma: Thank you–I feel a little better today, as well. I think the bronchitis might be the thing that haunts me for a while, even as the flu fades. But the doctor is on top of things.
Leila: He’s a keeper!
Trish: Thank you for your encouragement, prayers and love, Trish! I’d phone you, but I don’t know how well my voice would hold out.
I hope you are feeling better. Please tell the Prince that he did a great job! He might need a cinammon crunch bagel from Panera for that!!
Hi, Ann,
I was down last week with the flu as well – never been so sick! – and my teenagers were the ones who served. What a blessing. Not only did they do their own work quietly and without fuss in the background, they checked on me regularly to make sure I had everything I need.
I love great kids!
Oh, and my “Irish wonder” was also serving quietly and lovingly in the background. It almost made being sick worth it. Almost…
I am so glad you are starting to feel better. Your story made me smile and tear up a bit. I can imagine my 8 year old taking that kind of pride in bringing me toast. So precious!
Delighted to meet you and share in your queen moment.
Blessings to you,
Sarah Dawn
Cute. Love the image of the Pocahontas tray! My girls are teens now, but those kinds of memories are cherished from their younger years.
And if you are a mom, then you ARE a queen.
Hope you feel better!
This was just like it was at our house. I got sick 2 days before the kids and my teenagers served me. I too feel like I have never been so sick in my life. What a life changing sickness this has been. I have been in Survivor Mode for 2 weeks, I am really getting better, I am just still very tired.
I have learned so much about myself and my family because of this H1N1 Flu. It is a good thing, but such a hard thing at the same time. Soup is just what I needed too. I made some soup and ate from it, happily. Although I was the only one, everyone else said it was gross- not their exact words, they were kinder, but the same meaning!
But it didn’t matter to me, warm and soothing. When you have the flu, somethings just don’t matter, in fact, a lot of things didn’t really matter. Just making it to the next hour, morning or day, mattered.
Hope you feel well soon. Take care and be sure there are lots of lessons to be learned from this difficult time. Our lives will be forever changed from this adversity.
Love,
Shari
Oh, this is so sweet! Sorry you guys have been dealing with the flu, too. Hope all is well and you have not visits from germs for a good long time!
lovely…just lovely….
glad you are feeling better!