An Ode to random things around my home

The week i was in bed

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Last week brought health challenges, and while I was bedbound I saw the beautiful advice of Maya C. Poppa to try writing an ode to something in our life that we love. In the height of my feverish delusion, I decided to declare my love for all the things within reach. Please enjoy this ode to those things.

Tissues. Thank you for having Vick’s built into your folds and for reviving my raw nostrils. NO thank you for burning my eyes out when I need to wipe crusty tears away. Thank you for existing in a box that I can carry from my bed to the couch. Your portability makes you special - never forget it.

My hydroflask straw. Not the water bottle. Just the straw- let’s be sure to be perfectly clear. While delusional with fever chills, I DID NOT want to simply drink water from my glass (or bottle). I needed water with a straw. And the closest straw happened to be extractable from my hydroflask. Dear straw- you are the reason I did not shrivel up like a raisin. Thanks for being responsible for my hydration. You didn’t bend or droop hanging several inches above my glass- sticking out like a flower stem in desperate need of trimming for its vase- you stayed strong- so out of place I couldn’t help but see you every time I opened my eyes. Great work. I’ll keep you.

My fuzzy hospital bathrobe. That’s right- the one from the hospital stay when Augie was born. We lived together last week. You were there for me. Keeping me warm even though I was burning up. You helped keep those chills down. You never judged my lack of pants. Sweet thing.

Ricola cough drops. When the sore throat hit- you were there and you held on for dear life. You knew I would be needing you at night and I didn’t even have to call- you just lined up next to my bed and beamed up at me ready to DO YOUR JOB. I’ll be leaving a 5-star review.

My satin pillowcase. my hair has never looked better. We been through it. I can’t say you saved my hair from knots or tangles - I thought I was going to have to cut the beaver tail off my head- but you DID stay cool for me while I was burning up. My cheeks appreciated that. I’ll be washing you ASAP.

The shadow on the wall around sunset. You told me what time it was when I had no other way to know. Too weak to get up and look at a clock. Phone dead. You crept across the wall adjacent to my bed every day, looming closer and closer to me as if to say, “I’m right here with you.”

Chicken noodle soup brought to me by the boys. Well, the broth from the soup. I couldn’t eat anything of substance. That soup initiated my revival. The boys had to fend for themselves last week. Our home looks like a natural disaster habitat, but hey- we made it, and they brought me soup. Pretty much all I could ask for.

Thank you for reading this ode to random things around my home. I am feeling much better now.

From my fuzzy bathrobe to yours,

K. Alexandra

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