As
some of you may recall, my last post was a paragraph about how I’d been too
sick to write my post. Also, in her last post, Bonnie mentioned I’d been in the
hospital with COVID. (I’m home now; they released me the same day of her post.)
Considering
how sick I was, I’ve been told to continue isolation through July 1st,
which means I’m not leaving my room unless it can’t be helped. (In other words,
the only time I’ve left my bedroom in a week was the one time I couldn’t get
anyone to get me some food. The biggest issue at the time was I needed to take
medicine, with food.)
On
the plus side, I’m able to see and talk to my family members and they aren’t
all gowned up when they are in the room with me. However, my girls are keeping
their distance since they haven’t come down with COVID yet. (Here’s praying
they don’t.)
One
thing I remember about my hospital stay was yet again thinking about all the
reasons Heavenly Father didn’t send me down as a singleton.
I
certainly don’t mind having my alone time, but even when I am quietly reading,
or writing, I prefer to have someone nearby. They don’t have to be talking to
me or even doing the same thing I am, I just prefer to have someone else in the
room with me.
I
can remember attempting to have a room of my own when I was about 11 or 12 and
it lasted maybe a week. I couldn’t stand it, even though my sisters were both
in the next room and we had a connecting door. I didn’t have a bedroom of my
own until I was about 16 but even that didn’t last a full year because our baby
brother was born and I was the only one without a roommate.
I
went off to college at 20 and spent a week living alone in an apartment but
most of that week I ended up spending with my best friend and her family.
(After that I had to move to campus approved housing so I had roommates.)
When
I served a mission for our church I had companions built in because we always
serve in sets. And at least one of my companions noticed my unconscious need to
always be in the same room as her.
One
day, I believe it was because of heat warnings, we were stuck in our apartment.
A rather spacious space consisting of three rooms. The bathroom and bedroom
plus a large living room kitchen area. We spent most of the day studying our
scriptures or making phone calls.
At
the time, I did not notice I was doing it, but every single time my companion
changed the room she was in I inevitably followed within a few minutes. Both of
us studying in the bedroom, she gets up to do the dishes or something in the
kitchen and I end up in the living room (still studying). She moves back to the
cooler bedroom and guess where I end up less than ten minutes later. I know for
a fact, now, that I was irritating her that day but I honestly hadn’t noticed I
was following her around the apartment. I moved each time for my comfort.
My
point is, being so completely alone in the hospital room without someone else
nearby, even if I wasn’t talking to them, was hard on me. And Heavenly Father
must have known I couldn’t handle complete aloneness because he sent me to
earth with a constant companion. My twin sister. He also sent me to a large
enough family that I very rarely had a room of my own. Then when I did move out
of the house he sent along the man I very quickly married. (We’ll be
celebrating 30 years of marriage this coming November.)
Anyway,
I’m super glad I’m home now and surrounded by my family (human and fur babies).
I wasn’t built to be alone and Heavenly Father has seen to bless me with plenty
of family to keep me company.
The
other thing I’ve noticed this week is the spattering of gray I’ve had on either
side of my forehead (noticeable only when my hair is in a ponytail, which it
generally is) is now two distinct streaks of gray. Apparently stress, such as a
major illness really does make you grayer.
Smile.
Make the day a brighter day.
