Quarantine

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Going on day 9 of this miserable cold...

I don't get sick. 
People drop like flies around here
Coughing my my face
Throwing up in my hands
And I stay well.

Somehow I've managed to contract
A lingering, debilitating virus.
You think I'm exaggerating?
I've been in bed for two full days,
And for the past 3 days
No voice.
Everything I say is either 
A whisper, or
At a raspy, half volume.
Silent laughter
Scowling for scolding.
Clapping to attain attention.

It's a blessing.
A beautiful, blissful blessing.
The gift of quiet.
No yelling. 
No accidental poison seeping from my lips,
Just carefully spoken instruction.

We homeschool, you know.
I'm teaching sentence diagramming 
And graphing ordered pairs 
In a house with 9 children
...barely above a whisper.
It can be done.
Effectively done.
There is
No margin for sarcasm
 Or exasperation
 Or hostility.
Just diligently delivered smiles.
Carefully chosen words.
Intentional eye contact.

He speaks.
I listen.

Lvb

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