Emotional Toolbox

I’ve got laryngitis (which is definitely only meant for opera singers), so am swaddled in a duvet with the cat.  Turns out I’m rubbish at being ‘sick’.  That’s because I have things to do and it’s all in my head and nothing a good brisk walk/mug of chicken soup/lemsip and lucozade won’t fix.  I’ve told my body this repeatedly, but it’s not co-operating. Plus, Glen’s morphed from good nurse cautiously suggesting oranges, to evil nurse threatening drastic sanctions if I leave the sofa.

I hate being still.  Psalm 23 might appear reassuring, but there’s a steely undertone to ‘He makes me lie down’. We design our lives so we don’t have to face ourselves or our mortality – but sometimes reality grabs you from behind when you least expect it.

We’ve had a few appointments at the fertility clinic recently and they’ve been hard going, with more to come.  It seems  like if we do have a baby, it’ll be against increasing odds. That’s not to say it won’t happen, but well.. y’know.  I’ve also been putting on weight, which is good, but the new body takes a bit of getting used to.

Busyness is a neat way of negotiating emotional rocks, and when that’s gone, it’s hard not to stumble. So I’m cracking open the emotional toolbox and putting some of these bad boys into action:

1. Prayer. What I mean by this, is not the kind of prayers I imagine other people do: twirly and selfless and focused and the right mixture of thankyousorryplease.  Just very simple ones: a sentence, or maybe two.  ‘Dear God, this is all a bit tough. Please help’.

2. Oranges.   I don’t care what ails you – emotional, mental, physical whatever – there’s nothing a satsuma can’t sort. (And Berocca is no substitute).

3. Sense of humour.  Life is not ending, even though it’s tricky. Cats do the darnedest things. Husbands can be relied upon to gag when you smuggle vegetables into their gravy. If your humour is failing, borrow one from a friend. Or watch other people getting rained on – cheers me right up.

4. Psalms.  I love ’em. Like Bible Eastenders: you’ve got weddings, funerals, pub fights, music, office stress, break-ups, make-ups and dangly earrings.

5. Friends. Totally indispensable.

…What have I missed?

 

11 thoughts on “Emotional Toolbox

  1. The being still thing – totally relate! When I broke my ribs a few weeks ago I nearly went stir crazy, and had to face how much my identity was tied up with”doing”. So feel for you. Lots of love.X

  2. Rosehip syrup (don’t laugh, you already know I’m a few sandwiches short of a picnic). Loads of vitamin C. You just have to compete with the thorns to get the rosehips.

    I had to have two days off work a couple of weeks ago as just showering meant going back to bed, and the guilt and pride was unbelievable… against all my expectations they seemed to manage fine without me ;-)

  3. I fully laughed out loud when I read the satsuma thing. Totally right, of course.

    You’ve left out re-runs of Friends! Essential illness viewing, surely?

    And a plaster. That also fixes everything. Maybe one on the outside of your neck?

    I had laryngitis once. It got me out of a history presentation, I remember, so everyone thought i was faking it. But I wasn’t! I’d prepared the whole thing! (the injustice still sticks, all these years on…)

  4. Tanya, Sarah, Phil, Beckie and Nicky – Thanks for your sympathy and e-oranges..they’re working their vitamin magic.

    Ken, I’m just about to listen to the sermon: soul medicine!

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