Few of us
I started this post on November 18, 2017 and the above is as far as I got. I guess I had reached my limit that day. And I am bound to reach my limit just as quickly today. Today is Thursday. It is trash day. It is the day that the church people come with the weekly meal. It is the day after Wednesday and the day before Friday. It is Thursday.
When do you know you have reached your limit? It varies, does it not? When eating or drinking anything, your body should let you know when that limit is reached. Running or any type of physical activity will let your body notify you when you have reached your limit. It is the mental stress activities that we seem unable to read the signs that say, “Enough.” It is only when some garbled version of “ENOUGH!” is shouting, no screaming at us to stop when we even slow down enough to think about what is going on.
Any event in our life can become consuming of our time and thought processes. Only when those around say silly things like, “You look like you need a break!” do we even consider that really might be the case. When friends, sometimes even acquaintances, start offering to help you take a break, you definitely NEED a break!
From October 2000 to April 2001 I helped out my Mom after she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. I flew her home with me from the hospital. At the time I was staying with my mother-in-law who did not want to go into a nursing home. I took my Mom to Chemo treatments and days when she did not have one, I worked in the office. I held a full time job and took care of both of them and thought nothing of it. It was not stressful. It all had to be done and it was all working. It actually worked better with both of them there because they kept each other company.
It was not until after my Mom went back home that things kind of started falling apart. My mother-in-law had no one to talk to while I was working and she did things she ought not do. That is when the stress set in and she decided to leave her own home to get away from me. I find that somewhat humorous now. Back then it was just a relief. Her companion was gone. She was lonely. And I, well, I was me. I was the “wicked bitch of the south” constantly on her about her diet, about feeding my overweight dog, and a thousand other things I just had to bring up. I had reached my limit and no one could see the signs well enough to tell me. If they did, it was a case of “Not me! I’m not saying nothin’!”
Far too often, we have to be the one to say when it is time for a break. We have to be an adult and admit that we do not have super powers. We have to say “GOD, I need a break. Please show me how to admit to myself that I do not have the responsibility of the World upon my shoulders.”
We are after all just human. Man or woman, we can only do so much. Sometimes we can do more, but this time we need a break.
Observation & Opinion 