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Teatime Tuesday
Sometimes a girl just has to take care of herself. Sometimes, a girl just needs a break from the mundane responsibilities of life.
No matter how hard we try, none of us is able to control all of the circumstances and moments of our lives.
And we are all human beings—fragile—and limited. We need to take time to refresh, relax and restore or we will begin to see signs of stress acted out in our attitudes.
From time to time, when my four were much younger, and I had pushed them to their limits during the day without a nap, too much activity with other children, beyond their bedtime, too much sugar, and sometimes with lots of over-stimulation, bedtime would be impossible. Out of utter fatigue, they would wail and cry, throw little fits and not give into sleep until their bodies finally capitulated to utter exhaustion. Their reaction was equal to the level of exhaustion and abuse their bodies had taken.
There was no easy fix. They cried and fussed until they finally fell asleep. They didn't need to be disciplined—they needed to be loved and rested. Only when they caught up on rest and their metabolism went back to a normal blood sugar level over a couple of days, were they less agitated.
Mamas do the same thing, at times. When living without enough sleep, and eating too much junk food, with work and taking care of others—who are often immature, irritating, draining, picking up messes, cooking, attending to constant needs, life takes them to utter exhaustion. They are prone to fits expressed in different ways.
We cry, too—but in a more adult way. By being grumpy, irrationally angry, irritated or tearful at the smallest circumstances, our bodies rebel at exhaustion and show us that we have abused them. Older women and younger all need a slow down.
Our hearts will not have peace until our bodies have had rest.
You matter, you are worth it. You need to take care of yourself.
Join me on my podcast today, At Home with Sally.