“Do Celebrities get sick?”

My son was unwell last month. And the symptoms morphed but lasted for over 3 weeks. What started off as an intense headache and vomiting overnight transitioned into an incessant cough and then nasal congestion. 

The hard part for me was witnessing his discomfort, especially through the night when the cough WOULD. NOT. STOP. 

I would immediately bring him warm teas or water to sip which could possibly soothe his throat for a moment. 

He’s very funny and one night as we both lay awake, after one of the coughing attacks, he asked me to start quizzing him with trivia questions, something we often do at the dinner table or for fun in the car. I tried my best, as 3am is not my best hour, especially for trivia. 

But on another night he asked me something curious, “Do celebrities get sick mom?”

“Yes, they very much do my love.”

Yes. They. Do. 

Funny question at 2am. But a good one. And I know why he asked. 

I grew up in Los Angeles. Hah! I grew up on planet Earth. I know about celebrities. These larger than life beings who seem to evade mundane hardships, like getting sick, in my sons eyes. 

Turns out, celebrities are human even if they don’t appear that way on the big screen or small screen. They do age, they do get parking tickets, they do become unwell, they do die one day. 

Just like the rest of us.