Healing hugs and chickadees

It was bound to happen sooner or later.  Covid hit our house this week.

We had all still been wearing masks this fall despite the world around us seemingly going back to “normal.”  I really didn’t want to get covid before our fundraising concert though and risk missing it, so at school, work, and errands we stayed masked.

We made it 2 ½ weeks after the concert, of going back to unmasked life, before Cody brought covid home from school. 

Thankfully covid didn’t hit Cody harder due to his epilepsy nor did it cause problems for Chuck post-stroke.  I got hit the hardest.

I’m actually typing from my bed, day 6 of being here.  But I am feeling better.

I was so smeared for a few days that I barely got out of bed, so Chuck and Cody adjusted Cody’s bedtime routine.  We always share what we’re grateful for from that day before we go to sleep; this week, we did it with Chuck and Cody sitting next to me in our bedroom instead of Cody’s.

The first night I was sick we said what we were grateful for, and they got up to leave the room.  Cody walked to the door, then stopped and ran back to me, jumping on top of me.

“Healing hugs!” he exclaimed.

And he gave me a big, wraparound hug.  He invented healing hugs after Chuck’s first open-heart surgery, being much gentler with Chuck back then than he was with me now, of course.

The next day he made me a get-well card.  Cody loves birds so he drew a chickadee family in their nest. The littlest chickadee is on its back with its skinny claws in the air because it’s so happy that “mommydee” is healthy.

Awww.

It got me thinking about references to feathers and wings in the Bible. 

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

Psalm 36:7

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    till the storms of destruction pass by. 

Psalm 57:1

He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge

Psalm 91:4

Jesus even uses this imagery when he says,

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

Matthew 23:37

God wants to gather us in and care for and protect us – isn’t that a wonderful image? To have the Creator of the entire universe wanting to pull me under His wing.  That’s what I thought about when I looked at Cody’s drawing.

I found one more verse about feathers and wings when I looked up those words. 

But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings

Malachi 4:2

Healing in His wings.  And that reminded me of Cody launching himself on me to hug me, wrapping his arms around me and settling in to make me feel better.

I think Cody was on to something when he dubbed them “healing hugs.” 

I’m one fortunate (and healing) mommydee!