As some of you may know I deal with the review, registration and dissemination of birth and death records. Today I recieved a call from a funeral director who requested that I review and register a death record. He recounted the story told to him by the decedents husband. The wife who hadn't been feeling well for a few days suddenly slumped over on her computer. He called the paramedics but it was too late. She was gone to meet her maker. However, at the time this happened she was "googling" heart attack symptoms......so I am giving you a link below for a site that I often use in reviewing causes of death.
The husband recounted that she had felt badly for a few days but didn't know why and he also stated that when he looked at the google history on her computer she had been researching for days.
She was the kind of person who put others first, who didn't stop, who worked from home and on weekends.
I submit to you that those days when you feel like saying 'no more', 'not today', 'I can't', 'I shouldn't', that you DO. Take time for yourself, get a massage, go for a walk, so something for and for you alone.
It is often said by experts that if you do not take the time to be in good physical and mental health first then you are or will eventually be useless to others, those others that you love and want to be there for the most.
Take this week and do something for you and tell us what it was, share how you internalize being a beautiful, kind, loving woman that you surely are. Enjoy and be safe this week as you prepare for the Thanks Giving meal and the travel that it may entail.
God be with you and bless you and your families.
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/her-guide-to-a-heart-attack
Taking care of others and their needs is easier for me to do than for myself. One thing that I have learned to do for myself (since being an MFT intern)is to start speaking up for myself. I have a tendency not to speak of my needs or things that bother me, in order not to offend anyone or creat conflict. As I get more mature(older..lol)I say "To heck with everybody else!" ....lol. I am able to feel more comfortable in saying what I feel and realize sometimes people don't mind accommodating me or becoming more understanding. For now that is one thing that I do for myself.
ReplyDeleteI remember once asking my psychologist why I could not just stay on "auto-pilot" and stay in my marriage in numb mode therefore preventing all the "fall-out" and the pain I caused everyone, especially my 14 year old daughter. He simply replied, "There comes a point where you must become your authentic self and be true to who you are. Otherwise you will get eaten healthwise from the inside - physically or mentally. Had you not started taking care of and listening to you, you could not have been there for others...either short term or long term. Today you would be consumed by cance, have had a heat attack or you would have committed suicide"
ReplyDeleteI firmly believe he was 100% correct. We are no good to anyone unless we are first good to ourselves.