Beyond Cough Drops

Cough drops are a pitiful force against the advancement of my dreadful cough. I've brought out the artillery. Honey-lemon syrup, tea, breathing steam from hot water and even salt on the back of the tongue (never tried that before, and it works!).

Four in the morning and I was sure that Jak was just as awakened by my coughing as I was... and it has to be more annoying when it's not coming from inside your own head, and you can't know when it's coming and worst of all, you have no way of stopping it - except for irritably demanding that your sister leave the room - thank you, Jak, for not making me leave, but letting me figure out on my own that I was annoying. I love you! ^_^

Don't take your siblings for granted. If you are, imagine a day being an only child, or just a day without that particular brother, or a meal without seeing that sister. I feel tragically bad, just thinking about it. I'm so often annoyed by one of my brothers that I've stopped seeing the good things that he does and when I turn to him, he can be pretty much sure that I'm bugged by something he's doing or done. I'm going to practice being more thankful for him.

I've felt even more strongly how important family is lately. My oldest brother moved out recently and... yeah, it's a weird feeling seeing him acting a bit like a stranger in this house when he comes over. He's still who he's always been, but he's moving on and I'm so glad he is. He's becoming more of the man God wants him to be, but I almost feel like a mom, in that he's growing up... and he's not with us anymore. I'm going to cry.

Even more, my little sisters; I remember the age they're at and it seems like they're skidding past what took me forever. You know how long days used to seem when you were seven? And how waiting a week for vacation was an achingly long process? It's all speeding up and I feel like, just by not intentionally being there, I'm missing out on their growing-up years.

Okay. I'm done. Let's all go to heaven, okay? Where we can be eternally young and never have to lose people, never have to feel like we're missing anything, or doing something wrong, and never have to be sick.

R <3