Who hasn’t had the flu? Not you. How about the 30 day cold? Yes, that’s actually a thing. Bronchitis? Pneumonia? Strep?

This season has been brutal. If you are one of the 10 people who have yet to live through this season escaping illness, I envy you. As a human and a mom, this season has left me rethinking everything that I know to be logically true. It has hit our family, as well as our workplace harder than ever before.

I recently found myself so desperate for additional knowledge on how to dig out of the illness hole that I posted to social media for answers. I mean, I have a relatively healthy diet, exercise, get plenty of rest and take my vitamins (as do my children) … so what gives? What are some preventative steps that others were using that were effective?

In truth, the part which was blowing my mind most was that we’ve actually scaled back a bit as a family, by way of being on the go and busy all the time. Much of my journey the past few years has been about being more mindful and present. Okay, for those of you reading this and saying, “Teresa, enough with the Hippy talk” we simply stopped living out of our car and abandoned the notion that being on the go all the time translated to a better life.

So why are we all continuing to get sick?

The comments and wisdom from my circle of friends was interesting, as well as enlightening. A handful of them replying exactly as I would, had I seen a similar post from someone else. Admittedly, some of the wisdom via vitamins and supplements I have modified and added to all of our diets. Beyond that, there really wasn’t anything groundbreaking.

A few friends offered wisdom, which many were probably thinking yet hadn’t expressed – it’s dumb luck. These friends also happen to work with the public as a business owner and teacher, so I deem them a bit of life experts when it comes to illness and this unforeseen epidemic proportion season.

Granted I have no professional training in medicine, nutrition or the like. I do however pay attention and I listen. Early this month when visiting our family doctor as my son battled through this, the doc shared with us he had seen about 49 cases in the course of two days. So, yeah, maybe there is something to the “dumb luck” theory.

The piece of this which I have found the most troubling is our recent found obsession with wiping everything down and keeping the germs/bacteria at bay. As a mom and rational thinking human, this is truly against not just how I was raised, but what I feel is best for the immune system.

We have evolved into an anti-germ society. Why? I’m not completely sure. I still recall our family doctor having sharing with me when my son was little “let him eat dirt. Kids need germs to build their immune system.”

While my son was not the dirt eater, his sister was and yes, I will admit we’ve been a “10 second rule” family ever since. For the most part we stay pretty healthy, allergies aside. Well, obviously we stay healthy enough that this season has just knocked me off my mommy game both personally as well as their wellness provider. I mean, stop the insanity!

So what’s the point of all this really? I guess it’s simply just an extension of that post, which became so eye opening to me. If you are among the masses struggling to fight this thing or finally feel well again, hang in there. If you feel you have done something terribly wrong, chances are you haven’t.

The take away, use the opportunity (yes, illness can serve as opportunity) to allow your body to rest, take in the proper nutrition and re-evaluate how to stay healthy going forward. That’s the current state at least in our home – how not to relapse. How to stay healthy and not continue sharing this with one another or pick it up “around town.”

Teresa Hammond is a staff reporter for The Oakdale Leader, The Riverbank News and The Escalon Times. She may be reached at thammond@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 847-3021.