On the nature of being ill and memories

Or to be honest - a bit poorly...

I've had a low-level cold this week - took one day off work to try and shake it, and since then have just been generally bunged up and sneezing a lot. Weirdly it feels more like hayfever than a cold, but it is October and the leaves are dropping off the trees and nothing is flowering so I think it is just a cold limping its way out of me.

But this got me thinking about when I am ill. Which (touch wood) I very rarely am. I can't remember the last time I had a full on grotty head cold, let alone the flu (thereby now opening myself up to a winter of lurgies no doubt) and I don't really know what to attribute that to. I'm not uber healthy, nor do I live a clean and pure lifestyle which would build up my resistance to all the bugs floating around.  But somehow I tend to manage to avoid the worst of them - the most I do is quaff echinacea and fortified vitamin c when I feel something coming on. Maybe thats it!

But the one thing I do always have is lemon & honey with disprin. I can't bring myself to buy Lemsip - and don't really see the point. And there is something comforting and homely about my lemon & honey drinks. Memories of hearing Mum walk up the passage way when I was ill at home as a child, and knowing she was bringing me my drink. Always before bedtime to help us sleep. Although I think I put a tad more honey in than she did as sometimes they were a bit tart! And even feeling just a little bit poorly, I go straight back there, and still want to be looked after. I'll never forget my 21st family celebration - feeling full of cold, and I just wanted to be at home. I was going home anyhow (I think I bused back with Eryn) and it was a journey from hell - cold, hot, sweating and shivering. But we got back to Taupo, I crawled into bed and Mum bought 'the drink' in. I was so happy to be home - even though I felt like I was dying!