What Price, Gluttony?

Here I go a-blogging again, after a long break. Nope, I haven't been busy visiting the whole family clan during Chinese New Year, nor was I occupied hosting one gathering after another. I had been under the weather before the festivities even started, due in part to fatigue (endless chores, remember?) and largely because of my gluttony.

You see, I love food. I love eating. I love snacking. I love yummy delicious-looking goodies. I love titbits and crackers, hot & spicy stuff, crispy-fried munchies. I wished no one had conjured those so-called "proper meals". I would really love to survive on non-proper meals, because they are the fun type of food. A balanced meal, now where's the fun in that? I mean, does protein, carbohydrate & fibre excite you? They even sound dull, and having to "balance your meal" sound very much like work, e.g. balancing your accounts ~groan~!

On the other hand, when you imagine a bag of potato chips and a fizzy drink, ooh! Doesn't it lighten your mood right away? Of course, because they are fun food! Yippee, so I indulged myself a wee bit. Since I had bought CNY goodies anyway, tasting some of it first-hand is like, erm.. well... sampling them for your potential guests. Yeah, so I did just that.

Before I knew it, I had been munching for days. Did I need to sample that much? Oh yes, I reasoned within myself. For the guests' benefit, it's only my rightful duty. Oh yeah? Self-deceit is a real lousy thing, in masking my gluttony as responsibility, gosh, how low have I sunk? Wait, don't tell me, I don't want to know!

Anyway, I reaped the consequences: A Bad Cough & A Very Sore Throat. What is worse is that, my son Joseph, also got the "heatiness". He innocently partook of my "loot" and developed a nasty cough. A short visit to the paediatrician's clinic later, and we came home armed with three bottles of "syrup", for his cough, phlegm and runny nose. No one can imagine the Immense Guilt I felt each time Joseph struggled and cried during "medicine time".

Yes, I shouldn't have behaved quite like an ass. Or a hog. I have learnt my lesson. Does this mean I'm going to quit all fun food from now on? Oh no. The key word is m-o-d-e-r-a-t-i-o-n.

I ended with having a fairly quiet CNY. We had reunion dinner with William's relatives (of course), over twenty of them. On the first day of CNY we visited one uncle, and went home right after lunch, because Joseph and I got exhausted fast. The next four days were spent at home, recuperating. It was a nice change in a way.. hmm... I kind of enjoyed the serenity that came with it, there were no hassles of going from home to home, no exchanging pleasantries and making conversation with relatives you hardly know.

Those few days passed quietly by, and we had some quality family time (I, resenting the cough all that while), which is what a holiday should be to us "busy singaporeans", to serve the purpose of affording us more time to spend with our loved ones.

I also began to truly appreciate "proper meals", a bowl of home-cooked porridge "balanced" with chicken, broccoli and carrots never tasted so good! I was as a parched land welcoming the rain. Yep, my Very Sore Throat enjoyed the brief contact of a (balanced) soft, moist meal.

Joseph had been well for many days now, praise the Lord! As for me, I have more or less recovered, though my voice still sounded slightly nasal.

Lord, I thank you for good health, I should never have taken it for granted. Thank you Jesus, for loving and healing Joseph, I pray You keep him healthy, and sanctify everything that goes into his mouth, amen! Please help me with my gluttony too, thank You Lord!