Boy and Young Man

This week my boy was sick!  He eats poorly whenever he gets the chance and has still to master the importance of hydration, although he is getting better, however the result is that he seems a bit more prone than some to the usual nasty stuff that goes around when the seasons change.   I grew up missing very little to almost no school but in fairness also not getting sick very often.  I think it is for these reasons that when the boys are sick I tend to be more of the “soldier on” type as opposed to the “start pumping you full of medicine” type.  I have always believed that for the most part, the body can handle most of what is thrown its way and that it naturally gets more resilient if you let it fend off what ails it.   I am that mother that once received a call from the school nurse who said, and I quote, “this child should never have been sent to school today.”  She was right and I was wrong on that occasion.

Fast forward to Tuesday afternoon and the school was calling saying he had a slight temperature but did not need to be picked up unless we decided to do so; nothing alarming about that.  When I arrived home he was covered in blankets and was my little boy rather than the teenager and emerging young man of late.  He wanted his Mum and the hugs and comfort she brings and it was nice to be needed by him.  I thought I should get him moving around and get his mind off being sick (remember Me, the mother who says “soldier on”) so I announced that since the weather was getting cooler we needed to go and check out the latest fashions and get jeans.  Being in 8^th grade and at a critical point in terms of what he wears and what others think of it, this boy enjoys a good shopping trip.  It was not a good sign when he turned it down and I immediately knew we might be dealing with something more serious than a cough.  Between Tuesday evening and waking up on Wednesday morning his temperature had spiked.  At least he was sleeping soundly so I let the school know that they would have to muddle through without him that day.  He slept the day away but mustered up the energy on Wednesday afternoon to go to the Health Fair with us so I thought we were past the worse.  I was so gladdened by the signs of recovery that I offered Subway to this sweet loving boy with no energy.  This is another relative rarity carried over from my childhood.  We didn’t eat out every week and when we did it meant something.  In most ways I think I have turned out alright despite the lack of dining out in my childhood so we tend to make dinner for the boys and enjoy the family time around the table.  One day when I have the stamina I will document meal times at our house!  Again, the offer was not met with enthusiasm so I knew we were not out of the woods yet and even though I didn’t want him to be sick I was enjoying this boy who needed me to care for him. 

Impressively, the next morning he got himself up and out the door at his usual incredibly early time to start the learning day at 7:25am.  The call from the school came an hour later and I scooted over there to collect a boy who was shivery and pale.  He walked listlessly into my arms and I helped him to the car and fussed over him.  I had arrived at the crossroads and decided to call the doctor’s office and describe his symptoms which now also included headache and frequent full body evacuation (if you know what I mean).  They suggested bringing him in since we apparently have an outbreak of listeria in Colorado and some nasty viruses going around.  Once we stepped foot in that office, while the energy did not return his independent streak did and he answered every question maturely and honestly without any help from me.  There was no exaggeration to get sympathy and if he didn’t understand the medical terms he asked.  I was looking at my little boy but I was hearing someone on his way to becoming a man.  It was such a twilight zone in his growth.  At the same time as being proud of my young man, once we got back in the car armed with a prescription for a virus that would run its course in 7 to 8 days, I was happy that he is still my little boy.