Is it OK to be angry with someone who's sick?

At some point in our lives, we've had to care for or deal with someone who is fighting some sort of bug, condition, disease, virus—whatever. For many of us, it's our children or spouse, but could also be a friend. Taking care of someone who is ill can be frustrating, especially when that person becomes dependent on you for simple things that they normally do on their own. But is getting angry, raising your voice or even striking them (I've heard stories) ever the right thing to do?

So why am I writing about this? As of late, I've been dealing with something that's been causing me to sleep a lot. I've written about it here on the Planet, and know that I need to see the doctor. That's old news. Until the COVID-19 pandumbic goes away, that could be tricky. However, with the new vaccines now available, maybe that'll speed things up. Our county just moved up a color level (to Red), so some of the restrictions have eased. I've had various people actually get angry with me that I'm not well and can't (they think "choose not to") do what they feel I should do. (Remember: many of these folks are armchair physicians and know it all. Upon request, I'll bet they'll proudly show you their medical duhgree.)

Regardless of the nightmare we've been dealing with for a year, there are going to be sick people from now till the end of time. Those who choose to deal with their ailing family and friends by following the advice given in Caring for the Infirmed by Iyell Atyou are doing the world a tremendous disservice.

Inflicting anger onto someone who got sick because of a virus going around or from a treatable condition allowed to get out of hand will not make them better, nor will it fix the problem. Depending on the affliction, taking care of someone can be exhausting. But as hard as it may be, try to show some compassion and kindness to those who could use it. In reality, that means everyone all the time, but when people are under the weather, an extra serving is not only a nice touch, but may have some benefits.