Spring Fever

Image courtesy of the website:  diysolarpanelsv.com

This is it, folks!  This is the time of year that we have all have been looking forward to when spring has officially sprung…well, on the calendar anyway.  Not sure what it is or has been like where you reside, but in our part of the northern hemisphere wherein winter has been a long, recently cold one, the vernal equinox melt has given way to mostly brown grass and sparse-looking trees, with the odd bird hanging out.  Our signature flocks of Canadian geese have honked their way in (always a welcome sign), our outdoor kitty is shedding her winter coat, and the Easter bunnies outside are beginning to show their darker sides (not meant to conjure up images of vampires or anything of the kind.)  The daylight hours have stretched into more than equal parts, leaving one to truly feel as though our hibernation days are over.  We no longer have to simply ‘grin and bear it’!  (Sorry, I couldn’t resist that little pun.)

With all of the positive things coming our way; tending to flower beds, gardening, berry picking, camping, outdoor pools, picnics, picturesque sunrises and sets, green grass, and vacation time perhaps, it is easy to get forget about the not-so-fun aspects of the season that usually come along with its arrival.  Yes, I am talking about the dreaded allergy, chest cold and flu season which has clearly begun to take its hold on us.  One look and listen around and it’s not hard to miss all of the sneezing, coughing, pale faces and dark-ringed, glassy eyes staring back at us.  Of course, this is the time in which we silently wish we could place ourselves inside of an invisible bubble to all of the surrounding germs, but we’ve survived them before and we most likely will again.  Medically speaking, I think getting sick is supposed to be a good test for our systems to build up necessary antigens and immunity, as well as clear out the toxins and re-boot, so to speak.  While what I have said sounds all official and everything. I have to admit that I am remembering only snippets of things that I ‘think’ I have heard, so please don’t quote me on my previous statement.  After all, these are the ramblings of a middle-aged mind.

My daily concoction of vitamins and minerals over the past while has certainly held me in good stead, but this morning I woke up with the dreaded sore throat and nose tickle.  ‘Oh no, here it is!’, I begrudgingly thought.  The funny thing is that as I said good-bye to my husband who was headed off to work (a real reason to complain on an early weekend morning), I commented not only on my physical symptoms, but in how I immediately felt whiny.  No word of a lie.  I instantly felt sorry for myself and literally began wincing.  It was pathetic!  Even I knew that.  Of course, that elicited a quick reference to the long-standing joke, which is that my totally unnecessary display of behaviour is most often associated with men who get sick; hence, my husband laughed out loud at the irony of it.  I joined him in laughter because I recognized how ridiculous it all was, yet somehow, I couldn’t seem to help from flailing my legs about like a child and making high-pitched sounds enough to raise the ears of my once-beloved dog named Duke, who is no longer with us.  (Bless his soul!)

So, I am left to wonder:  How/why is it that some of us are declared wimps when it comes to the common cold or flu, whereas others make it their mission to forge ahead like well-trained soldiers keeping the beat for the rest of us?  I like to think that, most times, I fall on the spectrum somewhere in between the two extremes, but  I am not afraid to admit when I lean more toward the more undesirable side of things.  Luckily, I recognize it in myself and I don’t expect to be waited on hand and foot.  In saying that, I will also admit that a nice leg rub and some thoughtfully warmed-up bean bags sure go a long way, thanks to my loving husband.

I don’t pretend to know the answer to my previously asked question, nor is it something that keeps me up at night, even though my dry, tight throat might;-).  It’s just one of those things in life that makes you pause and go, “Hmmm?”.  In the meantime, I will ready my box of name-brand Kleenex (now is NOT the time to cheap out with the no-name stuff, in my opinion, or I will have no-nose left!) and a healthy dose of the millions of cold aisle remedies sure to aid my growing list of symptoms, right?!  

Indeed my friends, springtime is a time to sit back, relax and listen to the birds…which hopefully drown out my annoying whimpers, as this poor, sick girl (I’m really laying it on thick here;-) wallows her way back to wellness.  ‘March on!  March on!’, I tell myself.