I knew when I married Mr. Right that our vows included “in sickness and in health.” Mr. Right got to live his end of the bargain right off, when his brand-new wife was sick for four months straight. Even when I almost puked on him on our first date as a married couple, he stayed calm and cool and was a perfect picture of the supportive husband.
This week it has been my turn.
I love getting the chance to dote on my man, to take care of him when he’s feeling puny. But Sunday was a real test of my ability to be a good wife when he told me, all of a sudden, “I feel like I may throw up, can you get me a trash can?”
Not sure I was quite as calm and cool as he was in that same situation. Here’s how I reacted:
I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, grabbing the first trash can I saw (and dumping all of its contents on our bedroom floor), then deciding I should add a trash bag liner just-in-case, then deciding that trash can wasn’t big enough so I ran across the house to grab another trash can, then added a trash bag liner. Then I had to pick up all the trash I had dumped on the floor. Then I paced around and fretted over what I would do when I heard him puke, since I have a notoriously weak stomach and even though I’ve worked at a hospital for EIGHT YEARS I can’t handle blood or vomit (those who can’t nurse… advertise). I kept telling myself that a good wife wouldn’t let something like this get to her. That real love involves staying in the room while your husband gets sick. But I secretly prayed that the good Lord would save me from this one instance so that I could be both a good wife and a non-nauseous one.
And all the while, of course, worrying about my poor sick husband who obviously felt horrible.
Thankfully, the trash can was unnecessary. Hallelujah! (for his sake, of course)
Praying that my Mr. Right’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad sinus infection is on the mend soon. In the meantime I’m doing my best to keep him hydrated, doped up, and loved.