December 31, 2025
A healthy man wants a thousand things. A sick man only wants one.
Confucius
Last fall, which was our first in Southern California, the kids were sick at home practically every other week. Their preschool regularly sent notices encouraging parents to keep their kids home, remarking how unusually prevalent illnesses were that season. At work, it became a running joke when I shared that the kids (and me, about half the time) were sick at home, with runny noses, fevers, coughs, the flu, and a few other new variants.
I’ve waited until the end of this year to report that the kids stayed healthy, all fall long. I didn’t want to jinx it, naturally. It’s been an incredible run, perhaps a testament to maturing immune systems, an off-year for school illnesses, covid babies strengthening in kindergarten, or kids who supposedly wash their hands now (I have my doubts). Of course, after two nights at Legoland with thousands of other families, I suspect our healthy run may be in jeopardy — but I can still appreciate what we’ve had.
Health is everything. With it, everything is possible. Without it, there’s only one thing on our minds. I’m grateful to be in this magical period of life: my kids are healthy, my parents are healthy, and I am too. Not yet feeling “sandwiched”, but knowing that time will soon come, I can remind myself that these are the good times. I can savor them every night as I close my eyes, and dream of what a gift another healthy day will be.