I look forward to Mondays. Mike Lawson from What Some Would Call Lies posts his weekly mirror mantra every Monday - a motivational message delivered via post-it.
I always see his post and nod in agreement. Yeah, we should all remember that, I think. More nodding.
Of course, by Monday afternoon, I've usually forgotten. My days are intense lately. I'm running between a screaming high needs two month old who won't be put down and a two year old heathen who, this morning, bellysurfed down my staircase head first with reckless delight.
I don't stop to take genuine care of myself.
It's hard when you're focused on taking care of others. Counterintuitive to put the oxygen mask on yourself first.
So my 'thing I forget' is to take care of myself. But that's just the first half of my message.
Your needs, your stress, your dreams. You matter.
Don't put yourself so far on the back burner that you sizzle till you burn. Stop to take care of yourself. Speak up for yourself.
Your health. Your diet. Your body. You matter.
Make and keep your doctor's appointments. Get a little exercise. Make better choices.
Your living space. Your money. Your marriage. You matter.
Think about where you're burning your resources. Who you're neglecting. Conversations you meant to have. Rooms that don't make you feel comfortable or productive.
Your sleep. Your appearance. Your pain. You matter.
I am tired of cringing at my unkempt new mommy reflection. Of my tender aching feet (from plantar fasciitis) because I don't take time to do the stretches I'm supposed to do three times a day.
I say all this with mustard and a toddler in my unbrushed hair (I hate mustard). In a living room wrecked with toys. With a baby on my breast.
I'm not complaining about where I am in life. My life is beautiful and unkempt right now. That's okay. But I'm not going to pretend it isn't really hard.
I'm neglecting a lot of what I need right now. So I think I'd better put that post-it on my face. Because sometimes you can be reminded and it still won't stick. (Maybe I need to apply more mustard.)
So true! I try to remember to take care of myself but sometimes it's just so hard to fit that in & so easy to "forget". Great reminder :)
ReplyDeleteWonderfully written. You do matter.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the plantars fasciitis - I have had it bad a number of times - I've done the boot, the orthapedics, the cortisone shots - all with temporary relief. The thing that has worked best for me (no pain nearly 3 years) have been Merrill shoes. They're not sexy but they work for me. I wear Merrill flip flops at home on my tile and tennis shoes everywhere else. It's something about the arch placement I think. Maybe they would work for you. Great reminders in your post that we can't take care of others if we don't take care of ourselves.