I cancel all meetings. I arrange a nest of warm blankets and pillows on the couch.
I bring out the Sick Tray–the red handled serving tray painted with strawberries.
My youngest is sick with fever, cough, chills, headache–it’s kept her from school and therefore kept me from work.
The Sick Tray arrives to her side with hot tea, fresh fruit, toast, and medicine in the morning. It returns to the kitchen all day and then appears with popsicles and gingerale mid-morning and with ice water and more tea by lunch. I watch movies with her, diffuse essential oils, and fold laundry. I answer emails and finish coursework as I now reassemble the Sick Tray with the thermometer and more medicine.
But it’s just as I hoped and what the Sick Tray encourages: the fever is long gone. Now we enjoy the afternoon in sweet recovery.
And the sick tray goes home to its drawer for another day.