I tapped out yesterday afternoon. It had been a long week, made a bit longer due to an unexpected pipe leak, and a kid home sick, and a hefty grading load. When I woke up yesterday, I immediately sensed that I was on the brink of total immune system collapse. (I blame my three kids, who each have been sick off and on for weeks like a weird whack-a-mole game where one finally gets healthy, but another pops up with an illness, and my college students, who, by week 5 in the semester, are a bit ragged.)
Although it felt somewhat selfish and irresponsible, I cleared my afternoon schedule and did exactly what my body needed: I took a nap. I slept for several hours, which, apparently, was just long enough to not entirely know where I was, or who I was, or what month it was when I woke up. Now that's needed sleep.
It reminds me of the proverbial "put on your own oxygen mask first" instruction. A dragging, exhausted, miserably sick Robin wasn't going to be of any usefulness to anyone else, much less myself, so I might as well do what it takes to stop that disastrous train in its tracks.
I already felt better this morning. Not perfect, but better. Functional. This is good, because all the things I put off yesterday are still waiting for me today. The importance difference is that today I'm feeling well enough to tackle them.
In case of emergency, put on your own oxygen mask first. It's good advice.
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