Men and Women: Oh, the Flu

She gargles the fire in her throat (upstairs),
makes lunch (downstairs),
dusts (both floors),
washes the sheets (downstairs),
reviews geography with her son (upstairs),
heats the castor pack (downstairs)
hacks into the waste bin,
does her saline wash (upstairs),
empties the trash bin (downstairs),
gets her boy more blankets (upstairs),
checks the soup (downstairs),
does the dishes,
runs over to the library (outside),
makes bone broth (downstairs)

He….well, he…pulls down the covers and does the hard work
of opening his mouth for the nice hot water and pills.

162 thoughts on “Men and Women: Oh, the Flu”

  3. hahahahahahehehebwahahahoho…Wait!. Is this funny, or just so true that we must laugh or go crazy? In either case, charmingly expressed. Thanks for the levity. Salud.

  4. wait, wait, wait. you mean to tell me that a woman would do all of that for me whenever I’m sick? where can I find one like that? are you for hire???

  12. :)) Sometime’s -not often!- is the other way round, and I feel compelled to say it: there are very nice men in this world, and one of them is near me now and caring a lot for me and the household while I’m ill, I’m serious! 🙂

      1. Awww 🙂 Thank you! I hope to get better soon.
        And you are quite right chuckling, or even laughing, at me. Ha ha ha!! I’ve enjoyed your post, knowing well what you are talking about. On the other hand, I’m grateful and very much in love right now, and I’ve tried to show that the other side of manhood; the nice one; still exists. Best wishes ! ✨

      2. Aww, we have someone in love here. Dang it, you blew my cover. All right, my Mister goes beyond the call of duty when he is able, which is 360 many days a year. (Well, take the days his headache puts him out and it brings him down to 350? 340…even though I steam through no matter what the -ache.) Anyways, I guess when he checks out, he’s making up for that, ha ha ha ha. I’m glad to have provided laugh therapy. And hope you guys hold onto what you have another 30 yrs!

      3. :)) That is very kind of you. Thanks a lot! (Anyway, according to past experiences, I would be content if we are as passionately well 30 months from now. Ha ha ha!) A big hug 💐 ✨

  14. Arg, don’t get me started on man babies when they’re sick while us women keep on going like a Duracell battery come what may, lol. Hoping you’re feeling better soon. ❤

  17. Lol that was hilarious and totally one sided. One doesn’t expect to do the chores while he/she is taken ill. There’s something called ‘caring’ too.

  18. Well that’s where the problem lies. Why does it always have to be this vs that? And I wonder the rationale behind weighing my thoughts on a scale. ;).. If one feels disgruntled to do a task, he/she can simply say I won’t and just walk off. Not good to whine all the time.

    1. Oh, he is content to rest when sick. And I shall go on stretching myself like taffy to keep us all glued. =) Sounds like you haven’t seen the other comments where I shared how much the Mr. does the rest of the year.

      This post is called humor. =) Thx for the read.

  20. Mr does the same thing the rest of the year and don’t crib and when he needs attention just cause he is sick, Mrs starts complaining about her workload. 😁 I would have agreed to your post completely had you not mentioned illness to your subject. 🙂

    1. Since you’re digging your heels in, this is part of a larger picture where I – and the women I’ve known – show up rain or shine, even when they’ve cracked a rib on the ice. It’s not a complaint, though the hardship is something I’m poking a finger at (and with) in good fun. It’s a privilege. Are there exceptions? Absolutely, as in everything. Did I have a right to to do a parody on the roles of men and women on my blog? Of course.

      1. Sacrifices are done from both the sides. One had to hear that loudly.
        ”Are there exceptions? Absolutely as in everything’ That’s all I wanted to hear. ^^ Thanks for your time 🙂

  22. Wow..just went through the comments..after the post obviously…great post btw….loved it…remembered the times when mother asked to wear proper clothes and not drench in the rain…it was unheaRd nevertheless…loved it.. moms are great….may i reblog it?

    1. Are you the youngest in the family….or an only child? 😛
      Oh, forget it. Actually, it’s the firstborn son in many Asian cultures who is treated like a king.

      There’s no rhyme or reason…

      1. I’m the eldest. I don’t and never have been treated like a king lol
        A man or woman has to find a way to get by in this life no matter what happens! 😊

      2. Ha ha ha. Never treated like royalty. I like that (very much). Actually, the Mr. is quite the survivor (each of us in different ways). Push comes to shove, he will do what he must to pull through. But I guess when that soft bed calls and he has a wife to do the pushing and shoving (no matter that she is bone-weary and can barely open the door), he will just close those tired eyes. =)

  24. Lmao. So Pref. He’d stay in bed and go hysteric about how I’m planning to murder him in his sleep and I’ll just look up to heaven and ask “Dear God, why did you let me say yes?”.

  26. And you write this as I am going through a cold, sore throat, running nose, cough and all : D Some of just don’t stop when we are ill, but some of us…what a pity. When it comes to getting sick, I think it’s the men who pop more pills than women.

      2. Yes, those were herb pills I gave the Mr. =) But I don’t blame you! Sugar and dairy will worsen it so hang tight. I’m sure you’ll make it out of the worst in a few days.

        xxx

  27. You really conveyed your running up and down stairs as the sort of rat race you were caught in. I felt your resignation to being nursemaid and tongue-in-cheek description of your husband’s needs. Well done.

  31. Lord have mercy Diana, you just about wore your legs to a nub. I thought you were referring to your son but apparently not. It is your husband . You make a great nurse, housekeeper, errand runner, cook, chauffer, wife, mother, teacher and I’m sure I have left out some thing.

    Women must be all things sometimes in a marriage. I am relatively sure that about half the time the needy list is even- at least I hope so.

    1. Ok, so I admit I need to do better by my husband – as I do for the little man. It’s hard enough to be nursing the sick when one is strong, but when the whole house is falling apart and the man drops like a fly, someone has to scramble for the pieces. Fortunately, he helps keep it all together the rest of the time and rarely is ill. =)

  35. As mothers (and women), we do push ourselves to be everything to everyone. It is against our nature to slow down and simply take care of ourselves. As I have aged, I have learned that being sick is a reminder to focus on my well-being! That said, there are only two of us (empty nesters) at home now. Thankfully, other than aches and pains, we don’t get (contagiously) sick very often. I hope that everyone is feeling better by now!

    1. Again, you’ve said it well, a good soldier of experience. There was (technically) nothing wrong with his resting in his sickness. In fact, it is mentally and physiologically healthy. Unfortunately, it becomes a pragmatic quandary if the whole house checks out. And yes, when it comes to it, I think many women do the pushing and shoving. No one is sick at present. This was winter. =) Thx, D.

  38. I felt so much better hearing that she “runs over to the library (outside)” – Priorities. Stair steps are good for the heart, but running in the fresh air, or even driving with the windows down, to fetch a book — that’s good for the spirit.

    And if she’s doing all those other things for more than exercise and not because she’s driven, I’d say the boy and the man not only are blessed with a soulmom but have a live-in role model to imitate. Here’s hoping they learn something while they’re growing up. (No offense; only talking about the people in the poem here.)

    Speaking of the poem, who’s the castor pack for? Surely not Mr.? And what’s going on with the waste bin, does she have the flu too? What a mess! I’m glad it’s a poem and not real.

    1. The first line shows she is sick as he is. That was the parody in the title. So no, she wasn’t exercising. The library was among the necessary to-dos that day. It technically didn’t matter whom the castor was for since they were all ill but it was for her boy. The point was she – not her husband – was the one preparing it.

      1. Not a good reader here. I should have learned to keep eyes open and mouth shut years ago. I did smile as I read the poem though. A sympathy smile. I liked the drawing too.

  40. Nice poem, very realistic. No wonder men get scared at the slightest health problem. I think this reaction is a result of biological differences between men and women, but it is also something culturally imbued in the capitalist patriarchy. Men are still supposed to play the ancient warrior role to suceed in the outer world by climbing all the steps of the success ladder while women are supposed to take care of the people, especially of their children and the elderly. If a warrior is injured the woman has to cure him after a hard day’s work. Sadly, too little has changed in spite of feminism which is nothing other than fighting for equal rights, opportunities and duties, and in any case, the supremacy of one sex over the other.

  43. Hope hubby tends to any illnesses of yours..and cooks healing meals for you. You’re a real trooper for helping others. But need to start delegating slowly to break the cycle.

    My partner witnessed the bike crash of another cyclist into me… For 3 months solid, he did all the cooking, housework and food shopping while also going on his winter bike rides. I had a concussion, sprained wrist…I was bedridden since I was dizzy, with rehab that was slow in order for to walk unaccompanied much later, run and much later, bike. He never complained. He’s a good cook anyway since we share cooking responsibilities for last…quarter century. In fact, he’s a neater, better housekeeper than I….it’s naturally neat freak him.

    I hope I can step up for him when the time comes.

  47. This did make me laugh, but I have to say that my husband is one of the exceptions you mention in an earlier comment. Just as well, really, as you can appreciate 😉

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