Appreciate What You Have

April 5, 2026 – OMG… I’m sick and lost my voice

You just can’t take things for granted. OMG… I’m just struggling with illness.  I have no idea what I have… a cold, the flu, or COVID. Oof. All I know is, I am sick, I am coughing like nobody’s business, and I lost my voice. I just had another “cold” a few weeks ago and managed to “work my way through it” but this time, I don’t know. I am fully operational in terms of low level activity, like blogging. I went to Vancouver last weekend with my kid. She had an appointment in Vancouver and she wanted me to come along. It turned out to be a weekend of connection, rest, and bliss. We met up with one of her childhood friends, we met up with my family, and we visited my mom. We celebrated this weekend as my kid is heading closer to graduation. I got her a build-a-bear and we had a couple of massages too. We had a great weekend, but I could feel something creeping from behind.

My ears would not unplug after flying home from Vancouver. This anomaly was my first clue. Of course, like any good teacher, I denied these symptoms, hoping that my ear would pop and life would proceed as it should. Monday was my last in-person teaching day with this crew. Next Monday (aka., tomorrow), is Easter Monday, and our last Monday together was made asynchronous. Everything in those two classes are due that day. I got through that day, and I was in the race-of-work. Because my last weekend was spent with my kid, I was in full gear trying to get things done, like email, prep, and meetings. I was still in sick-denial. By the time I was teaching my Tuesday night class, I could feel “the sick” coming in hard and fast. The first part of the class, my class was being filmed for the university. The second-half, I was dying. I think the students picked up on this when no one sat beside me in circle. I dragged myself home and I was overwhelmed by SICK.

Just like that, I was drinking NeoCitron, having Benadryl, and managing to get through Wednesday and Thursday before Easter long weekend. Luckily, I could work from home. But, I lost my voice by the end of Wednesday… and now it’s Sunday, and I still don’t have my voice. I had to teach my Thursday online class using the chat function, established instructional routines, and videos. That was an interesting experience. My occupation is very reliant on my voice. Thank goodness the class went well and my students were very compassionate and accommodating. It’s been an interesting class and I appreciate how it’s been moving along despite the interruptions. After that class, I was very intentional to take the night off, to go to bed, and take the next day or two to recover from this mess. Two days later, I am still sick, I’m struggling with sleep, and I still don’t have my voice.

So, why the photo of my family? My sister, brother, and I are connected via text messaging. I am so grateful to be so connected to them both. Although I spent a good chunk of my life trying to be “like them” as the first child and first boy in our family, I have learned that they have my best interests at heart and I don’t have to be like them (or anyone) to be accepted for who I am. Anyway, I am very grateful for what they both have to offer and very appreciative of the sibling-team we have become for one another and for my dad. A long story made short, it was triage for us which resulted in a FaceTime call. Of course, I had no voice. I was all non-verbal cues, much like my Thursday’s class without the chat function. My sister commented by saying mid-Triage about me not having a voice and how refreshing it was. LOL. I’ll take that as a compliment. It’s been something that I have been learning since my mom passed. I have a voice. Use it.

In the end, the triage-moment proceeded as it did and I was left wondering about not taking what we have for granted. I’ve been doing that for many, many years. But, I have my health. I have a place to live. I have a job I love. I live with my kid. I have everything I need. Ok. I am sick and lost my voice, but what a wonderful reminder of making the most of what I have and not take things for granted. I have been adapting and doing my best to make the most of the current situation. I have rested for a couple of days, like it was the weekend, and I have a couple of more days this long weekend to get things done without the interruption of meetings and emails. It’s nice. As we approach the end of the term, I hope to get my voice back from my last two classes, one on Tuesday and the other on Thursday. Other than that, it’s time to close the term, get my marking done, and to submit grades. I also need to work on my CV. I’ve done a tonne of things for the last 3-months and I need to document them for the annual report. Honestly, life is good.