Illness

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel a little catch, a little tickle in your throat? A touch nauseous? 

You climb into bed with a subtle dread, thinking “I’m pretty sure I will wake up full blown sick.”

That was me, today.

Yesterday, I had a sore throat — nothing unreasonable. Took some vitamin C, drank extra water, and went to bed early.

Imagine the horror as I wake up with a 101f+ fever.
Scathing sore throat, like boiling water was poured through it.
Sinus pressure high enough to feel like my eyes will pop out.
A sore neck and migraine as I’ve never known.
Each bone, muscle, and joint feels like it was stamped upon by some very angry people who like stamping on bones, muscles, and joints…

I woke up very, very Fluey!

Yet, there was some amazement and gratitude.

I haven’t really been sick since 2018. 
Isn’t it fascinating how our body does exactly what it’s intended to do? It fights off the invaders by setting itself “on fire” and doing battle on its terms.

Being sick is an opportunity, in my mind.

It hurts, yes, but it is a chance to slow down. To be grateful.

I’m grateful for this opportunity my body has to learn how to fight.
I’m grateful for this opportunity to become stronger and more resilient.
I’m grateful for this opportunity to reflect upon my mortality. 

Being sick is a great time to practice death meditation, as we are more consciously aware of being nearer to death.

Each day, we are ebbing and flowing nearer and further from death — completely unaware — but during these rare times, we are fully aware “I am fragile. I am corrupted. I am penetrated. I could die.”

And I very well could not wake up in the morning.
Leaving my parents.
My fiancée.
My cat would probably eat me after a day or two without food.

So, as with all things — there is a great opportunity in illness for us to reflect and learn. To seek that which we can find gratitude in, despite the apparent suffering we may experience.

After all…
What doesn’t kill you…

Follow for daily philosophical meditations.

These are distillations from my coming book “YouDaimonia: the Ancient Philosophy of Human Flourishing.”