It’s flu season. Or if you listen to the news it’s Flumageddon 2013. I guarantee right now you know someone or live with someone who is under the weather thanks to the wonderful season that is winter. There is nothing good about being sick. None of us want to get sick, but if you happen to be under the weather there’s truly no place like home.

I fell victim to illness this past weekend and started thinking about the creature comforts of home that you don’t appreciate until you’re under the weather. I have been on my fair share of business trips and vacations when you get sick and you just want to go home. So when I am sick and I can be in my own house, I have learned to appreciate it that much more.

We all know that home has its own feelings of comfort and familiarity that make it the place we know and love. When you’re sick some of those comforts are intensified. Who doesn’t have that favorite spot on the couch where you can just grab that ridiculously comfy blanket and nestle in for an afternoon of nothingness. There’s probably a particular food in your cabinet or freezer that is reserved for those who are under the weather. In our house, it’s popsicles.

Last weekend my oldest son was sick. My wife and two boys escaped the germs and headed out while I stayed home with him. We ended up watching movies on Netflix and just vegging out on the couch. We talked, joked around and discussed the intricacies of various Xbox games. He didn’t enjoy being sick, but I like to think we both enjoyed an afternoon at home together.

While I’m recovering from whatever this latest bug is I sit in my dedicated seat in the kitchen looking out at my winter wonderland of a backyard and nursing  cup of tea, which I never drink except when I’m at home and sick. I am anxious to be well and back to the normalcy that healthy human beings enjoy, but I’m also thankful for the creature comforts of home.

May you be healthy this flu-infested season, but if the germs are unavoidable may your home be a comfort to you as well. And wash your hands…a lot.