I stayed home sick today from work. First of all, I want to say that I’m grateful I can do this; not everyone has a job that gives them the benefit of sick days, and I dearly wish everyone did. I’m also grateful to have a comfortable home that I can spend days like this in; not everyone has that, and again I dearly wish everyone did. Rarely a day goes by that I am not grateful for what I have.
Today, I have been thinking about an ironic twist in my life that I realized today. In the past, when I was a Christian Scientist, and I stayed home sick, I would have tried to study “The Books” (Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures) or other Christian Science publications and articles in an effort to find healing for whatever was ailing me. Inevitably, I’d quickly tire of that study and either sleep it off, or watch endless hours of TV until I felt better. I’d always feel guilty, however, that I wasn’t doing enough to effect the needed healing through Christian Science.
Nowadays, when I get sick, I sleep it off, or watch TV and I don’t feel at all guilty. I know that what my body needs is to relax so it can fight off whatever is ailing me, and if the illness worsens, I’m off to the doctor or clinic. But, the deeper irony for me today, is an activity that has consumed a large part of my afternoon and evening (my TV isn’t working well, so not much of that today). I did a massive update of my “Bibliography” and “Resources & Links” pages on this blog. As I paused in the midst of the research I was doing, I thought how ironic it was now, that I’m home sick and instead of trying to “hit the books” and feverishly study Christian Science, here I was working over a blog I now maintain that is stridently critical of Christian Science!
Yes, life does move in interesting and unexpected directions. As a friend of mine who is aware of my history remarked to me on the phone today, “Illness is real.” Yes it is; I wish it wasn’t, but it is.
Emerging Gently 