Big Girls Don't Cry.

Independent. Stubborn. Smart.

Quite the threesome, or deadly combination?

Well the answer is...depends on the day; and for the past few days, Abby has been sick. You can see it in her swollen red eyes, hear it in her raspy voice, and feel it in her warm body. She knows she is sick too, but absolutely refuses to admit it - to me, and to the world. Abby never wants to appear as if she has been weakened - she will, and I have seen her, eat a freshly cut lemon and act as if it is the most amazing thing she has ever tasted...if needed to, in order to prove herself. In her mind sickness = weakness, and it is like pulling teeth to get her to slow down and take a minute for herself.

I took her to the doctor yesterday and warned him ahead of time that she would most likely tell him she was "fine." I told him that she had only briefly mentioned to me that her throat "hurt a little," and even though she felt as if she may have just been deep-fried, she would most likely refuse to admit any other sort of pain. The doctor asked her repeated questions while examining her and each time the response was, "No. That doesn't hurt." Abby's fever was 103.6 and the doctor said her lymph nodes were extremely inflamed - to the point where they should have been painful to even touch. Abby just sat there, listened, and asked for a Halloween Sticker. The doctor looked at her and said, "You are a tough little girl." I smiled...and actually felt a little proud. Proud, because although I have conflicting emotions on whether or not I enjoy her reluctance to admit defeat, I was never a "tough" girl. I admire so much of Abby's character traits, and often wish I could learn to develop that tough core of confidence and strength that she possesses.

Lucky for us, the doctor knew better than to listen to Ab and prescribed a super dose of an anti-biotic and codeine-tainted cough syrup ( I know...good stuff.:) I am sure that she will make a miraculous recovery and be well in time to see High School Musical 3 tomorrow. If she is not, she will definitely fake it enough to make it. A few moments earlier, she exclaimed, "I have not been able to play with my friends for 4 days, and it feels like a year. And, if I didn't play with my friends for a year...I would just die."

In that case, let's all hope for a speedy recovery.