Human Again

Q: what’s worse on your sleep cycle, daylight savings or sick children?
A: A combination of both.
This particular week started with my youngest cherub screaming from the bathroom, “mommy I barffed.”

“Ok, I’ll have to call you back bye.”

I went to the bathroom took care of her & stayed up all that night (which just happened to be the night we sprang forward. IE: Losing an hour of sleep) &

My husband went to bed. He relieved me at 7 AM & I took a nap. Tuesday Hubby informs me that he’s sick, Friday was my smallest boy’s turn, & Saturday took me down. ON Monday my eldest son felt chills but nothing more. FEW! I was so caught up in taking care of everyone & myself; over the past week that I let mostly everything about me go. I am embarrassed to say it had been about 3 days since my last shower. (Can we say eeeew!)?

But the truth is I’m not the only mom out there that this happens too. It’s so easy to forget about yourself when you are trying to take care of everyone else. Whether it’s a new baby, a cherub with medical issues, or a tummy bug. At some point, we all need to feel human again.

Sometimes, it’s just a shower, clean teeth, & a fresh outfit that make all the difference in the world. Other times, it’s getting out for a moment to just blow off steam. Yes, we all need to “blow off steam” at some point or another. I remember when I had moved out of my parent’s home for the 1st time some of my friends asked me,
“What if you need to go for a drive, what are you going to do?”

Ok, let us be realistic here. If I had a license to drive, (even _if I was calm) you wouldn’t want to be on the road anywhere near me. (Note to newcomers: I’m totally blind.) Obviously I needed to figure something else out. & Eventually I did hit that point, I walked out, slammed the door, & stood there. Not having the slightest clue or idea of what in the world I was going to do next. So I sat down, cooled off, & when I was ready I walked back in the house. But it was that time alone. Sure, it would have been nice to see some trees passing by or to go somewhere else like the park or the mall, but aside from the fact that it’s not really safe to drive in that state of mind; I had neither the transportation nor the funds for such a trip. SO, I made due with what I had.

When we can regain our composure, boost our spirits, & maybe even feel special for just a moment, it makes tough days just that much easier to deal with. .

Here are just a few ways to boost those spirits without depending on anyone else or flattening our wallets.

1. A nice shower, with your favorite scented washes, & shampoo. Even if you turn off the water during your shampoo session, massaging your scalp will help you relax & release much of that stress.

2. Put on some music. Even quiet upbeat music can get some rhythm back in your step & relaxation or classical music can help slow things down when it’s time to take a break.

3. Buy a small treat just for you. Sometimes we forget how nice it is not to have to break a candy bar into 4 pieces & equal pieces at that. While it’s nice to share, sometimes I just don’t wanna. ☺

4. Make something just for you. We spend time making things for our children, spouse, & others; when was the last time you worked so hard to make something for you? It sometimes goes that we give everyone else a turn & when it comes to us we skip because some one else needs or wants something else. So even if it’s just a simple favorite meal, or a project you’d like; take that turn for you.

In doing these things, not only do we help ourselves feel human again, but we teach our children that we as moms & dads, Grands, or guardians are people too. We teach them that taking time for ourselves is important & when they have cherubs of their own, they will be able to make those same concepts apply in their lives.

So while we may not always be 1st in line, we need to make sure that we take our turn. I’ve shared a few of my favorite spirit boosters, but I’d like to hear what works for you. What do you do to feel human again?

God bless & as always, make it a great day!