Help

I am learning how to accept help. Now tell me: this isn't one of those lifelong process-things for a mother, is it?

We've been knocked down with illness after illness, which have all slowly made their way through my whole family each time. So, yeah, we were sick in January. When in January? January.

I hear that it is no longer January. I sort of wonder when that happened. I have a feeling it might be March before I figure out exactly where in February we are.

Anyway, I can name three households so far who have called or written, trying to find out what they can do to help. Now. I am not in the part of the learning-to-accept-help process where I send them away, saying, no, no, we're fine. I know we're not fine; I know we could really, really use the help. But my goodness. What do I even ask for? Anything I would really want would probably involve food (which, disregarding the ridiculousness of our dietary needs--half my family can't or won't eat in this stage of sickness) or watching the kids so I can sleep the flu away (which would involve contaminating someone else's house or person with Influenza A).

What would you ask for if you couldn't ask for food or any kind of face-to-face contact? I mean, there's gotta be something, right?