I work 3 days a week. I make all breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I do all the household chores inside and out. I grocery shop, go to the library, teach a PD class and go to a PD class. I have my church and bring Russ to his. I am curious where 'rest' comes into play. I am most certainly not complaining, but when someone says "you must take care of yourself, I just laugh. At this point in time, taking care of myself means Russ has options for adventure, classes and therapy, our home is clean and inviting, we have 3 nutritious meals a day and have time for one another.
If I pull apart the scripture, I know that some days I need to be full out with errands, some days need to be set aside just for Russ, work days need to be focused and competent even thought I have my phone glued to my hip in case Russ needs me. And my brain? I need to stretch for new options to new set-backs, I need to to be focused in my approach. Procrastination happens on one task, but in its place I put another chore.
"You'll never reach your potential by treating every moment as a sprint. Those who learn the secret of momentum are the ones who actually finish with a better race time. They train in a way that's sustainable over the long haul... pulling back can be as much a discipline as pushing forward."
I can see how to apply this to my day. Without periods of rest I may just burn out; I need to put distinction into my days even when I feel I have no choice. "Sometimes we have to take sides against ourselves."
Parkinson's is a snowflake disease and just like a snowflake, it is unique to each person. I cannot assume that the people we interact with show me what our life will become. Our journey is just that, OUR JOURNEY. And along our twisting road I must be sure to sit on the resting bench, to rejuvenate.
And if all else fails, there is forced rest!
This flit across my screen this morning (the day after posting this blog entry) from Vertellis.
Reminder: Your 'busy-ness' does not define you.
"A demanding job, family, social media, friends… all are important but they can consume all available time – including the time you should be taking for yourself. Days, weeks, and months simply slip away...
Taking time for yourself is important, but unfortunately, something that is often neglected in our busy and stressful lives.
We rarely stand still and truly consider how we feel, what we’ve learned, or what we’ve experienced. "