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A Spoonful Of Sympathy |
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| by Aaron Jubar |
A week ago, my wife walked in the door with a pained look
on her face. When I asked her what was wrong, she proceeded
to tell me that her stomach was bothering her and that
she was experiencing muscle aches along with some headaches.
The first thought that popped into my head was, "don't
get near me, I don't want to get sick!" After a moment
I realized that if I were in her position, I'd want her
to take care of me, even if it meant she might be exposed
to my illness. A little bit of sympathy can go a long
way.
Knee-Jerk Reaction
The cold and flu season is upon us. Soon our family members
will start coming home with viruses and illnesses they
picked up at work. These germs have a way of spreading
quickly through a household and before long everyone
has a cold. We avoid our family members when they are
sick, because we have a fear of catching whatever it
is they have. It's this fear that keeps us from properly
caring for our sick brethren.
The most common phrase said when someone near us has a cold
is, "Get away from me, I don't want to get sick!"
It's just a knee-jerk reaction. But the fact is, there's
little we can do to avoid germs during the cold and
flu season. This is especially true when we live with
a family member who has acquired an illness outside
the home.
So how do we properly care for family members when we obviously
don't want to be near them and "get what they have"?
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Instincts: Parental and Otherwise
Speaking
with parents I know, they would do anything to keep
their child from getting sick. Then, when their child
does come down with an illness, they feel somewhat responsible
and would do anything to make their little-one feel
better. In fact, the protective instincts of parents
lead them to wish that they could somehow exchange their
health for their child's illness if it meant making
the child feel better.
It's easy for parents to get close to their child and care
for them when they are ill, even if they run the risk
of "catching" whatever ails the child. But
when a spouse or other family member comes down with
something, it can be a whole different story. Rather
than caring for an adult the way we do a child we take
on an attitude of "don't get near me, I don't want
your germs!"
Unfortunately, there's absolutely no way you can avoid getting germs
from sick family members. In fact, by avoiding them,
you run the risk of the "bug" getting stronger
so that when it does get to you, it hits you harder.
Preventative Measures and Ailment Aids
So, for now, let's just assume that you will be exposed
to the pathogen. The best thing you can do is to boost
your immune system and give it the best chance possible
to fight off the germs. Loading up on vitamin C and
extra zinc is always a good option. Also, drinking plenty
of liquids -- especially water -- will keep those lymphocytes
lively. And as always, get plenty of sleep, but stay
active and exercise.
Now, what to do about that sick family member? A person is
a sympathetic, caring creature. Unfortunately, people
as a whole are selfish and aren't very sympathetic when
it comes to the illnesses of others. Sometimes we want
to blame the individual who is ill. "You're sick
because you didn't wear a coat yesterday!" or "you
didn't drink enough fluids, and now you're sick!"
are common phrases said by those who play the blame
game.
Sure, there are things we can do to prevent illness, but even
the healthiest person is susceptible when cold and flu
season rolls around. Stop blaming that ill family member,
and start caring for them
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The Golden Rule
Just like sick children, adults with illnesses require lots
of love and care. We need psychological support when
we have a cold. Even though we know we'll eventually
get better, it's hard to be positive when you feel so bad.
When it comes to a sick adult family member, I use the oft-quoted
Golden Rule. How do I want to be treated when I'm sick?
Well... I want someone to cook me chicken soup and bring
me a blanket. Some medicine and hot tea would be nice,
too. Sure, they're all things I could do on my own,
but it's the idea that someone is there who cares about
how I feel that supports me.
So after my wife announced she was feeling ill, I managed
to overcome my first instinct, which was to duck into
the living room until she had passed. Instead, I tucked
her into bed and ran to the store for some medicine.
If I couldn't make her feel better physically, I was
at least going to let her know that I was there for
her and that I could sympathize. A little sympathy can
go a long way.
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Life Applications:
When has someone sympathized with you and helped you feel
better?
How do you treat family members who are ill?
How do you like to be treated when you are ill?
Copyright 2002 by Aaron Jubar -- see author's
bio
All rights reserved.
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Scripture taken from the Holy
Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright ©
1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International
Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered
trademarks of International Bible Society. Use of either
trademark for the offering of goods or services requires
the prior written consent of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy
Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used
by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton,
IL 60189, USA. All rights reserved.
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