Do Mommies Get Sick?

By Ana Borden

My oldest son recently had a revelation. As members of our immediate family got sick one after the other this past week, I took care of each them with very little rest while continuing with the usual busyness of child care, home making and working. It led him to ask me, “Do Mommies Get Sick?”

Like any other day in the last decade for me, and especially during the past 1½ years, cycling through these responsibilities and dealing with sickness hiccups are the reality of today’s mothers with little rest or breaks for anything else. That includes when they feel under the weather ourselves.

From his perspective, he hadn’t witnessed me being sick, which prompted his question. If only he knew …

I truly think God transforms mothers of little ones to have a high threshold for pain and to power through sicknesses, physically and emotionally, knowing the impact of any slowdown has on the family dynamic.

I look to God for encouragement and solace during these times, and pray for patience as well as physical and emotional strength and endurance.

One verse that helps me during these challenging times is, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31.

How do you get through the challenge of caring for the sick in your family? Let us know at http://www.nolacatholicparenting.org.