I can understand how you would feel when an employee misses work. It's often difficult for us to separate our compassionate selves to that part of us that feels very inconvenienced by a worker's illness. We can be both sympthetic and empathetic when it comes to our family members not only because they are family but because we are usully not put out by their illnesses. I would suggest that you try to remember that if they remained at work while ill their job performance would be sorely lacking and you would be inconvenienced by that. On the bright side, perhaps it is because they do their jobs so well that you have trouble handling their being absent. At whatever rate, upon their return to work, let them know how much they were missed. A little praise could go a long way.