I came down with a nasty cold. I've been dealing with it the last few days. Lots of mucous, and, although it seems like mucous is my enemy, it turns out mucous is actually my friend. All the symptoms of a cold are really just the body's defenses attacking the virus that has inhabited one's body.
So, having a cold means your body becomes a battlefield. The runny nose, the coughing, the sore throat are just a result of the battle. I Googled "What is a cold?" just to see what would come up.
Seems there are over 200 viruses that can infect you. And there's no way to prevent a cold. So we all endure. One upside of a cold: no room in my body for worry or guilt. It's enough just to be up and about, taking one step, then another.
So in that sense having a cold is sort of a clearing. You get back to the basics of survival. And you have the hope of a life beyond mucous in your future.