In sickness...

Holed up for most of this week nurturing my sick kiddos as best as I can, I am overwhelmed with how unbelievably lucky I am to have the simple luxury of caring for my babies in a safe, warm, dry, spacious environment...for metal bowls to collect their vomit, which can be easily flushed away...for the blankets and fireplace and cozy places to keep them comfortable as the fight within their bodies rage; for the washing machine that lets me quickly and easily decontaminate our linens; for the fresh clean water I can give them to drink at will and use to clean the filth away from them; for the physical space we have to keep one child's illness from directly infecting the others...

Watching your children suffer through a stomach bug is never ever fun or easy, but this time around, I am a little more grateful...if they have to suffer from this illness, I am so glad that they are safe within our cluttered up middle class rented home full of family and food and comfort...

Tent city at gate E2 at the Port. Photo credit Keli Hiatt Anderson

Can you imagine what it must be like for the families in the camps? In the port? How horrible and hard would it be to have a little one fall ill while your whole family was living in a too small tent, your few belongings mixed up with the meager supply of blankets kept for warmth. No emesis basins, no quick clean of soiled linens...no easy access to a bathroom to east the intestinal disquiet...no soft comfort to ease the burden even a tiny bit.

Can you imagine? Can you believe that there are thousands of people out there, right now, dealing with this level of squalor? 

It boggles the mind.

Photo I took of a tent at Idomeni refugee camp at the Macedonian border. 

And reminds me to be epically grateful.

And to kiss my sweethearts and keep them close and to count my many many blessings at every chance I get.

It isn't something I think I will ever be able to take for granted.

Much love

In solidarity,

Kat

My thankfully not-sick kiddos.  I am so unspeakably lucky, and can't ever take that for granted.