Sick Days

I've been thinking about things I'm grateful for ever since Carolyn posted on the topic recently. Here's one that's made my top ten list of late: sick leave.

In the past 5 years, I have accrued somewhere in excess of 200 hours of sick leave--enough to take off 2 full months, should I need it. I don't dip into my leave often; I may get ill once per term, and I take some hours here and there for doctor's visits and the like. But over the past few days, I've had cause to use some of my hours.

On Thursday I woke up a mess. I had been fighting a stuffy nose and achy head for a few days, and I was very tired, so I decided to call in sick, rest up, and be back at it Friday. My plans changed when the kids woke up and Evan had a fever. He later threw up, making my sick day all about him.

Yesterday Isaac had this same fever, and when he was still sick this morning, I took a second day off to let him rest. Evan again spent the day being sick (they're both napping right now), so I was able to hang out with the little guys while Summer took the older two to school and picked them up.

I am very fortunate to have a job that gives me sick leave, and I'm thankful for good health so I don't have to use it very often. And I'll be grateful once Isaac and Evan are well and back to their trouble-making ways.