I started the season with illness on Saturday. I thought I was getting better by Sunday. Monday we had the septic back up into the house. Tuesday we pumped out the septic and then my daughter came down for a delayed Christmas dinner, as the bathrooms in the house were back in operation. Today I woke up with cold sweats and a fever, and after fixing breakfast and taking care of the household around 6am, I sat back down in my chair an hour later for just a moment and dozed off until a quarter of eight. Made a phone call into work, and then passed back out until 11am. All this with chills and a fever. Good thing I got my flu shot, or else it “might have been worse.”

All whining aside, I can’t complain. I’m still gainfully employed, have a loving wife of 33 years, my kids are out in the world. We can count many basic blessings. And I have a good medical system to fall back on when I am ill. I’ve enjoyed many good past Christmases. When I’m well again I’ll look back on this Christmas as an outlier and laugh.

More than that, I have great hope for the future. And while rebellions might be built on hope, the good future where all can benefit from basic blessings such as an affordable (if not free) education, affordable (if not free) health care, food and housing is something we should strive for for all, not just the select “lucky” few.