A Cup of Tea

My eighteen-year-old son, who is still in high school and living at home, got his second Covid vaccine shot last weekend. He made the first appointment that was available in the morning because he was scheduled to put in a shift at work and then he was taking his girlfriend to prom when he got off in the afternoon, so it was going to be a very busy day for him.

He and his date got ready at our house and I took a few pictures and enjoyed seeing them off. At 10 pm the garage door opened and they walked in and he looked a little off. They went down the stairs to watch a movie and came back up about an hour later and I could tell he was really dragging.

“My whole body hurts and I have no energy. I couldn’t stay awake for the movie. My head really hurts.”

I felt his forehead and could tell he had a slight fever and realized he was having some side effects from his vaccine.

“I am going to run Jo home quick and then I will come back and go to bed.”

I gave him the rundown of mom questions:

“Did you take anything?”

“Have you had enough water today?”

“Can you get your shift covered for tomorrow so you can rest?”

He answered my questions and said he would be back. Jo lives really close so I expected I would see him back in ten minutes. I gathered up some meds and planned to scratch his back and tuck him in when he got home.

Twenty minutes later he texted me a picture of a cup of tea.

“Jo’s mom made me some tea. It is so good. She said since I am so tired and not feeling well I can just stay here if that is okay. They already blew up the air mattress for me.”

I stared at my phone for a few minutes and at the picture of his cup of tea.

I wanted to be the one that was there for him. I felt sad.

But then I felt good, too. There is nothing better in this world than other people loving your kids. Brett and I raised our kids with the hope that they could be independent and do things away from us and build strong relationships inside as well as outside of our home.

It is hard not to take it personally at times, but he is growing his wings just as we have hoped for the past eighteen years.

I think I will go make myself a cup of tea.