My youngest daughter has been in the hospital for a few weeks with a serious, but not life-threatening, illness. She is improving, but slowly. I’ve been staying near the hospital with her (a massive thank you to everyone who has ever given to the Ronald McDonald House charity—what a blessing to have a room there!). I can safely say that this episode ranks right up near the top of Least Fun Experiences in my life.
On the other hand, there’s a great camaraderie among parents of kids in the hospital. We do sound a little like people in prison movies as we greet each other with things like, “What are you in for?” or “How long are you in for?” And, of course, as I’ve been sitting in a hospital room, I can’t help but think of Jane Austen’s invalids: Louisa Musgrove, Mrs. Smith, Marianne Dashwood, and so on. But for comic relief, I turn to Jane Austen’s hypochondriacs, namely Mrs. Bennet and Mary Musgrove. Perhaps it is the lack of sleep, but it amused me to make memes for the sentiments expressed by those ladies, and I offer them to you in hopes that they might raise a chuckle or two!
I do hope Mary Musgrove and Mrs. Bennet would be flattered by the attention!
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