Last week was a long week in the Bey household.
Two Sundays ago, Nolan started coughing. By morning, his cough was worse and he had a fever. Thankfully Monday was a holiday so we didn’t have a morning scramble to deal with on top of the new illness… No, we were fortunate enough to get to ease into both the day and the plague. Fantastic.
Not knowing how Nolan would do with the nasal swab test along with knowing the guidelines for symptoms on the campus where I work, I booked myself for a test. The first available test when I used the scheduling app on Monday morning was for late Tuesday afternoon. By mid-morning Wednesday, I had confirmation that I was sick with the Covid-19 virus. While it wasn’t worth getting Nolan and Kirk tested, it’s safe to assume that we were all sick with the same bug.
All three of us coughed (some of us for the better part of the week), and Nolan and I had fevers for a few days. There was a lot of going to bed early and sleeping late, and there was even more pushing of fluids. I’m fairly certain every cup in the house was dirty at least once a day. As a result, the bathroom was also much in demand.
We couldn't get enough sleep...
It was probably the most low-key week we’ve ever had. The truth is, we couldn’t have planned a more restful week if we’d tried. I can’t say any of us came out on the other side feeling particularly rested, though.
And it’s hard for a week to go by without your normal routine. I worried about things I wasn’t getting done. We weren’t eating normal meals so much as whatever was easy that we could handle at whatever time it occurred to us that we should eat… And I was certainly no Martha Stewart when it came to the house. (Okay, I’m never Martha Stewart when it comes to our house…)
But we spent the week together. And we took the time to take care of ourselves and each other in ways that we might not in a typical week. And most important, we gave ourselves a little grace to let go of the things that didn’t matter and not let the pressure to be productive outweigh the needs of our bodies and souls.
It was definitely a strange week. Our priorities were turned on their heads and it made me wonder why the things we focused on—our own well-being and taking care of one another—don’t get more attention in our day to day lives. As our bodies heal and we return to our typical speed instead of the slower, more exhausted pace we’ve been moving at, I hope we hold on to those priorities a bit more than we otherwise might.
For now, though, we’re not completely back up to speed. I went back to work Monday, and Nolan can return Wednesday. We haven’t forgotten about our well-being yet, and we’re still giving ourselves that extra bit of grace. I think I’m going to have to add that to my daily reminders every day for the next 40 years or so…
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need a 14-hour nap.