Sick Days

When I first got to this school, it always puzzled me how many students would come to school sick on a daily basis. My best friend would get sick many times a year, and would still show up to school! Confused, I finally asked her why she didn't stay home in bed and she told me that she just couldn't possibly miss multiple days of school. I finally convinced her that she would just get sicker if she didn't rest so the next day she stayed home. Still I didn't really understand...until it happened to me.

I just recently was home sick for 3 days, which is unheard of at our school. I remember thinking the first two days that the schools days I would be missing were light and not that important, but on the night of the second day, I started freaking out. I because stressed about missing another day of math and even convinced my mom to possible bring me to school the next day just for math. When I woke up the third day not any better, she kept me home again, against my will. I told her how I couldn't afford to miss another day and do you know what she did? She laughed at me. She told me that back in her day, kids faked sick so they wouldn't have to go to school. She told me that I would be able to make up my work and that if I didn't go back to sleep I was just going to get sicker. I finally realized that she was right and relaxed knowing that it was not the end of the world.

And now that I think about it, the reason I got sick in the first place was because I was stressed about school and upcoming due dates and project and tests and finals, all end of the year paraphernalia. So when I'm stressed I get sick, and being sick causes me stress. I need to learn to relax! All of us do. Most of the pressure put on us as students is self inflicted so we really need not worry. Life will go on. So go ahead, take a sick day, and don't feel guilty about enjoying it.