Well, I *thought* I’d avoided the worst of the later winter crud – I had not.
Yes, the fever broke and I took a few days to recover some strength then I went back to work at full steam. Because of course I did. I’m Very Important, don’t you know.
Sigh. I am an educated Diva, and yet there are times when I am deeply, deeply dumb.
Instead of listening where the Universe tried to get my attention, I blundered onward. That meant I ignored the first symptoms (lingering fatigue, too much coffee too late in the day to get through the workday), so they escalated (broken sleep, increased irritability, congestion) until WHAM! I wound up flat on my back in bed with my Beloved moving out to the spare bedroom so one of us could remain vertical.
And still – I fell into that horrible Calvinist viewpoint of “push through” that insists that if you’re not in the hospital, you’re fine. So you fake it. You shower, put on lipstick, a spritz of perfume, and go forth into the world when you really, really know better.
In this case, the Universe sighed at my hard-headedness and walloped me hard with boomerang-sickness, giving me a few additional “now stay put!” taps. The upshot of this was that I spent two days pretending that I was all right while gasping for air that I couldn’t quite catch, alarming those who love me, and winding up at the doctor getting blood work, X-rays, and a host of medications to knock out what can kindly be called “Galloping Bronchitis.” I am an advocate of modern medicine, particularly when coupled with common sense remedies of sleep, liquids, and being told by those who know me well, “for God’s sake, woman, just stay put!” Yet I didn’t listen and made myself sicker, thus delaying my recovery.
So what can you learn from my horrible example?
Listen to yourself. Your body really will tell you what you need to do. Yes, often “faking it” works just fine and heaven knows it’s one of the best tools to keep the world spinning. But check your priorities and repeat after me – “The only place I’m indispensable is at home.” If you’re sick long enough, committees will re-organize. Jobs will wipe your computer and re-issue it. Reports will be re-assigned. Your home – your haven from the madding crowds – needs you. That must be your priority and you are wise to do what you can to protect that against all interlopers and invaders – even when that’s your own hard-headedness.
It’s very hard to Bloom without taking care of yourself, Divas.
*By the way, the ultimate home remedy for all things respiratory is Vicks VapoRub, a North Carolina discovery. It’s worth noting that Davidson College, a Presbyterian institution, has benefitted greatly from donations given by the family behind this mentholated miracle. During my convalescence, I discovered that an early tagline for Vicks was “Rub it on, sniff it in, it’s good for you, it’s made by Presbyterians.” I have no words for that.
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