Knowing When To Stop

     I'm sick. Nothing serious, no big deal, but feeling lousy. Just a sinus infection with a cough attached. You are probably wondering why I am sharing this with you? Who cares? I hear that, but I am sitting here trying to remember a time when I was sick and actually had the chance to do what it takes to get better. I am trying to recall what it felt like to just get into bed and take care of myself.

     Probably, this was the kind of thing that with some antibiotics and a day in bed would have been over before it really even began. I started off right, got the antibiotics and even remembered to take them. Somehow after that, it all went to pot. The kids did not cooperate, the job did not cooperate and the husband didn't either. 

     I obviously had to work everyday, which meant no rest during the day when the kids weren't around. My kids decided this week that each of them should be up at least one time during the night every night. My oldest thought that yesterday morning at 5 and this morning at 4 am were his wake up times. I might have ignored him except that I heard him waking up our houseguest (his uncle) and felt bad and so I jumped out of bed. My husband has been working late every night this week which has meant it was all me all the time in the evenings. Basically it has been non stop. And so, what should have been a sinus infection that would have been over in a day has turned into a cough that won't quit and a pulled muscle in my back from all the coughing. It has been compounded by exhaustion and all around crankiness. 

     I am not telling you this to complain but rather, because I have learned something from this. The bottom line is that being a Mom is really hard work especially when you also work full time (not to mention when you are measured by a quota). It is non stop! As a result what happens is, we don't. We simply don't stop because there isn't any time to. You are like a mouse on a wheel and usually you either can't figure out how to get off or you are afraid that if you do it will be too hard to get back on. Turns out, that is a mistake. If only, I had taken a few hours for myself and let myself get better I probably would be better by now. In the end, I did myself a disservice because now I really can't move because everything hurts and I haven't slept all week. Mistake, big mistake!

     And so, I am hoping to learn from this mistake. I am hoping that the next time I am feeling lousy, I will be smarter and that I will encourage my friends to be smarter too. This way, hopefully, I won't have a repeat of the disaster that was this evening in my home. All of my children screaming at me and me yelling right back at them. (btw- it honestly could have been the other way around). No body was happy and least of all me.