From the growing ranks of the sick, Guest Dad Joe Burris writes today about how hard it is to cope with the after-effects of flu while still being a daddy:

A few weeks ago, I felt as if I was coming down with an ailment. Now, I can’t seem to get up from it.

What began as seasonal flu has gravitated to bronchitis, which means I’ve become a walking cough machine. I’ve also become anxiety ridden, worried that my ailment will spread to my family.

This has been without question my most frantic and fearful year for flu illnesses. Normally, I rarely think about it. But this year’s flu outbreak often makes a parent feel helpless.

My 12-year-old daughter Nyaniso just got over seasonal flu; my 3-year-old daughter Onalenna attends a school where two H1N1 cases have been confirmed. I now fret over every cough, and with me being sick, I’ve mostly isolated myself from the rest of my family.

This has not been easy. Already, working more than an hour from home, I miss out on many family gatherings. Still, better safe than sorry; embraces and kisses are at a premium.

Oddly enough, Onalenna (who has also insisted that she doesn’t want my germs), has made it easy to cope with. She has taken to blowing kisses to me from across the room. She blows them until she’s certain they reach me with the same effect as a warm embrace.

At a time when my ailment sometimes keeps me up all night, it’s as soothing as a hot bowl of chicken soup.