sick day

I attributed my fatigue from the past few days to having returned to my 'work' and arising earlier to get the kids off to school and for my Pasadena commute (ay, and we were rear-ended on Thursday, not an auspicious beginning to this new schoolyear--and I am feeling so so grateful that the neck pain I felt afterwards subsided quickly). Anyways, it turns out that both CatGirl and I have come down with some kind of cold/flu. As seems to always happen when my daughter gets ill, her fever is climbing.

Here is a repost from March 16 , in honor of the girl who's been curled up in my arms this morning, feeling a bit too miserable to sleep:

Been spending most of today with CatGirl nesting on the couch with pillows and cozy blankies. She's been intermittently running a high fever (102-104) for the past 24 hours.

With her head leaning on my shoulder and her lanky body curled into mine, I remember her baby days when she rarely wanted to lose touch. She was my little monkey, arms wrapped tightly around my neck. When I sat in a chair she would stand behind me, running her fingers through my hair (when she got a bit older she loved to give me 'pretty hairdos' with her rainbow-colored barrettes).

Now, with the flush of fever showing red on her cheeks and lips, my instinct is to hold her tight, to absorb the heat. Remembering a time when our bodies were joined--mine feeding hers, nurturing the small ball of tissue that would eventually grow into my bright and graceful girl.

Today I ache to add my strength to hers again. Because she feels so small and fragile in my arms.