I want to publicly apologize to the Gods of Illness, the Keepers of the Cold, the Spirits of Sickness. I was wrong. I had watched everyone I know fall victim to you, some people multiple times, and I was left untouched. For someone who used to get sick before anyone else and stay sick long after everyone had recovered, this was new to me. I got cocky. I can see that now. I bragged. I boasted. I beat my chest and claimed now I was the one with the unbreakable immune system. No more cowering when someone coughed, or wincing when I heard a sniffle, fearing I would be next. No! I proclaimed. No longer. I was the one who took care of all the weaker ones, those with inferior immune systems. I was arrogant. I was vain. I was a fool.
I see now that it was by your graces, Lords of Influenza, Commanders of the Cough, Suppliers of the Sniffles, that I was spared. For nearly a week I have been learning this lesson. Snot pouring out of my face, skin burning then freezing, joints aching, head pounding, this has been my fate. I have gone through more Kleenex than I care to admit. My nose is raw to the point of bleeding. It has been days since I was able to breath or sleep or taste.
And so humbled, I publicly ask for your forgiveness. I take back my braggart statements. They were made in ignorance. Please release your iron grip from around my lungs, give me back the use of my nose so that I may once again smell flowers or food or… anything. Take your claws out of my throat where you insist on scraping and scratching till there is nothing left but raw throbbing meat. Please. And if you do this, I promise never again to take my health for granted. I promise to sleep more and stress less and take Echinacea by the truckload. Whatever would please you, oh Saints of Snot, Merchants of Mucus, Providers of Pain. I promise I will do it. Just please, let me sleep, let me breathe, let me be well again.
Rey Wright 