La Influencia

The flu or influenza if you want to be scientifically correct is something that I’m sure we’ve all experienced and will continue to experience throughout our lives as long as the influenza virus continues to exist and mutate as it does. It’s the virus’ mutation abilities that make it so resilient since our immune systems can’t really develop antibodies against a changing predator (mush like the HIV virus but that’s a whole other story). At it’s worst the influenza can kill you but most of the times we just experience mild cold-like symptoms or respiratory infections.  But lately whenever I get the flu I get KNOCKED on my ass. I recall the days when I was younger (Oh god! I’m hearing myself say this more and more) I’d get the flu and still manage to function as if nothing was wrong. Nowadays I get sick and I have to be under the covers, severely medicated, asleep for hours accompanied by my cats. No ifs and or buts about it. I only wake up for the essentials- eating and bathroom breaks. As a matter of fact I have the flue right now, in case you haven’t guessed it, and as a result I’ve missed three days from work already. Normally I wouldn’t mind this so much but I’ve also missed out on my writing as well. It’s hard to sit up and write when your head feels like it’s being weighed down with five tons of mucus and then have to cough up phlegm every five minutes.  That dam phlegm hurts too!  Each cough creates a sharp sting in my throat as if the thread of a weed whacker were going against my inflamed throat. Seriously that's how bad it starts to feel after days and days of coughing.

God I’ve become such a baby about this flu thing. Lucky for me I’ve had my Mom’s caldo de pollo to nourish my feeble-ass back to health; just one of the perks that comes with being Mom’s neighbor. My favorite perk of all the perks I get from being her neighbor is that I get to see her a lot. I enjoy having dinner with her and just talking to her about random things, the weather of course, my brother’s future, how it would be cool to have a woman leading the country just to see if she makes as much of a mess as the men do and family talk in general.  As I’ve gotten older not only have I noticed that I’ve less resistant to the flu but that my ethereal umbilical cord is stronger than I used to like to admit. Yup, I am a Mama’s boi. Always have, for the mere sake that I’m the baby-girl, and always will be because Mom no longer treats me like a baby-girl and respects me as an adult.  We got to a point where we understand each other and things have been great since. Once while we were driving home form Vegas together she told me that I should have a kid on my own and I should do it soon because she’s “not going to be around much longer so I should take advantage” in other words she was offering her support.  She also told she thought I would make a great parent, “you just can’t be as callejera if you have a kid,” she added.  I of course got chocked up cause this woman whom once would’ve flipped out at the thought of one of her daughters having a child out of wedlock was now encouraging me to do so and offering her support. It also meant a lot that she thought I’d make a great Mom because I think she’s the best Mom ever.  

So what does all this have to do with the flu? Simple. As I was downing a bowl of caldo she told me “don’t worry you’ll get better soon porque ya me lo pegaste a mi,”  the secrete of the flu she said is that once you pass it on to someone then you’re on your road to recovery. If only other things like STIs or debt were that easy to get rid off. Then I got to thinking about Mom having the flu, I know she’s had the flu but I’ve never seen her tirada en la cama draped in her cobijas complaining about congestion and gargajos.  I can’t imagine Mom reacting to the flu in the ways that I’ve reacted to it; she would never and has never missed three days of work (paid or house work) because of a little bug. In fact the only times I’ve seen Mom bedridden for days were when she had a cesarean when giving birth to my brother and then when her appendix burst. Day in and day out Mom puts in long hours of hard work- she's never had a choice really being a single mother with four hungry mouths to feed, sometimes it she had to work two jobs just to make it. Back pain, fevers, flu, dislocated joints nothing held her back.  Nothing was stronger than her determination to raise her daughters and see them/us have a fulfilling life. Nah, she’s not a mujer de hiero but she’s definitely a Superwoman in my eyes. She works and has worked hard every day of her life, which makes me wonder if she realizes the influence she’s had on me and my work ethics, if she realizes that it’s because of her that I’m such a freakin’ workaholic. She’s also very giving and fair-just more of her qualities I strive to embody. Ay, esa mujer como ha sido una fuerte influencia positiva en mi vida. 

P.s. Happy Valentines Day mo'fo! Share the love....