Sometimes my child has a coughing sort of cold. Sometimes he drools so much he coughs. And sometimes, he fakes it.
He just likes to hear himself cough. He’s learned a new trick. It’s kinda gross. And kinda germy. But he likes it.
Cough, cough, cough, cough.
And I have to stop myself from saying, “Coughty, cough.”
My sister and I invented that gem when we were kids. We felt it unfair that sneezes got blessings but coughs got no recognition at all. So we started the “Coughty, cough” blessing.
I never feel the need to use our invented blessing when adults cough. But when little Tom coughs, apparently I feel like it deserves some recognition. Even if he’s faking it.
But I stop myself. I’m really not trying to raise my child to be as weird as I was.
Although…there may be no hope.
Because this is his mom.