This may sound weird, but it’s true: My grown children have fond memories of being sick during their childhoods. Not scary sick, mind you, but minor illnesses like colds, upset stomachs, etc.
The reason? Their grandmother (my mom).
Because I worked throughout the majority of my children’s childhoods, it was Mother who mostly cared for them when they were sick. She waited on them hand and foot.
First requirement of nurse “Nannie” (as they called her), you had to stay in bed. “No fanning around,” she’d say.
If you had a cold, Mother started her course of care making sure your chest and back were lathered in Vicks VapoRub and then covered by a T-shirt (typically one of my father’s as you grew older). There would always be a vaporizer or humidifier placed nearby on a chair or table, and your temperature was taken on a regular schedule. If you had a fever, she kept a cool washcloth placed on your forehead.