There is a certain love affair society tends to have whenever a new year first graces our calendars. Resolutions are made with abandon, all with the promise that this year will be different; an upgrade. As much as I'd like to join in, believing in the limitless possibilities, last year's baggage is still in tow, still requiring a resolution of its own. These things tend to be so all-encompassing, there's not exactly a lot of room for additional obligations, prompting further prioritization.
Of course, the downside of addressing the most pressing of obligations is the reality that things we genuinely desire will also have to be set aside. It's a tough lesson for anyone, but even more so when you're six and fighting a particularly nasty stomach flu.
My son had barely slept as he had been puking the majority of the night. When morning dawned and he was still struggling to hold down fluids, we called him in sick to school and called his pediatrician for a sick appointment. We then laid him down on the couch in the living room for the sake of proximity. At around nine in the morning, after his sister was already at school, he sat up and looked right at me, clearly bothered by his liquid-only-diet.
"Daddy, can I have some food?" He asked me.
"No, mijo," I replied consolingly, "because you've been puking all night, we need to make sure you can hold down liquids before we try solid food."
He gave me a melancholy sort of look and responded in a tone that matched. "Daddy, I want to start over," he said as he collapsed dramatically on the couch.
Of course you do. I think we could all use a do-over from time to time. I just wish it were that easy.
