What My Sister Gave My 3-Year Old Son For Christmas
What is the worst present you have ever received? Was it bad enough to make you physically ill?
On Christmas Eve, my wife, son, and I went to a family gathering about 20 miles away. Many members of my family were there including sisters, brother, children, Santa, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and several of their friends and spouses. I only see most of my family on holidays, so it seemed nice to see them.
Did I say “seemed”? Yes, because I regret going. My sister Beth brought a present for everyone, that nobody wanted. Strep throat! I had to mention my sister by name, because I have other sisters who would never think of be so inconsiderate as to show up to a large gathering of family and children with a harsh illness that she knows is contagious.
Did I mention that she knows excactly what is wrong with her and that she is contagious? Yes, she has already been to a doctor and was prescribed medication for her illness. Medication that neither my pregnant wife nor my 3-year old child are allowed to take!
My son was up all night crying. At 5:30 am, I gave him a quarter-dose of Dimetap for children (aged 6-12). Recently, the FDA stopped approving drugs for children under age four, so we are forced to either let our son suffer, or else disregard the medicines label and dose him haphazardly. We may take him to the doctor tomorrow, but my wife is starting to get sick too. You see, we are one of those families that snuggle and cuddle with our toddler so his illness will likely become ours.
I seriously would have left the family gathering if I would have known my sister had this illness. Unfortunately, I was too distracted to find out before she had kissed all over our toddler several times, ensuring that he got good and sick.
I found out Beth was sick shortly before she left, when she explained all the prescription medications she was on, as well as Theraflu. She told us how horrible she felt because of the strep throat she caught from her husband, who was also so incredibly sick he needed a doctor.
Why would my sick, contagious sister and her sick, contagious husband decide to come a family gathering featuring our Dad playing Santa for many small children? Did their Christmas spirit force them to the gathering, even at the expense of so many little kids? Then my sister even made sure to plant her unwholesome gift on the faces of all the tots in her afflicted path. Who does that???
Beth should certainly know better, considering that her children are nearly grown. After raising a couple of kids, I would have expected her of all people to have enough heart at Christmas to stay home.
I seriously considered calling her up at midnight to thank her for giving him a case of strep throat for Christmas. Or I could have called at 1:00 am since he was still up. Or we could have called anytime before 5:30 am since he was still up. Maybe we’ll call her on a different night this week. Beth said that her husband was sick for 8-10 days, so I’m sure we’ll endure many sleepless nights thanks to her. Merry Christmas.
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