We went back to the hospital yesterday late afternoon to fetch Mom and Dad and drive them to their home. The husband made dinner which we all enjoyed and chitchatted afterward. I was feeling a little tired around 8 pm so I excused myself and headed with my anyongi to our own abode in the family compound.
Although we had been there both in January and February, it felt like it had been a long while. Even my little guy took his time sniffing around like he always does whenever we go there. It's his way of familiarizing himself with the new scent and space. We went to bed around 9 pm, slept almost uninterrupted through the night, and found him snoozing on the bedroom mat in the morning, lol!
Anyway, we came back home to our lil kingdom after midday today. We were just settling in when the second rain of the year came. It was so soothing that it had us napping for more than 2 hours, lol! It sounds crazy but all we did these two days was sleep (more). Well, the body knew what it needed and we just listened to its signals.
It's an unwritten rule in our family (for the husband and I, that is) to give ourselves enough rest and care, hence we have our so-called lazy days where we just stay at home and be lazy, literally. We sleep unapologetically. No guilt feelings whatsoever.
We were not like this before. We used to work like there was no tomorrow, but we eventually recognized the importance of not compromising our well-being (although sometimes, we still do, especially when there are pressing things that concern our families). But yeah, that's what we do when we get overwhelmed and feel tired. It's the best way to recharge our souls and be ourselves again.
The truth is, we usually don't get exhausted from anything that we do every day but mostly from any sudden changes therein. And the good thing is that we both understand the need to take a breather. Also, when one forgets about what matters, the other steps in to remind us. At times, the husband encourages me to go offline and relax when he notices that I am getting sluggish. I, on the other hand, would pretend to get mad when he wouldn't give himself a break.
I know it can be hard to strike a balance in life, especially between work, family, and well-being, but it can be done when we are intentional about it. It gets easier when we share a common ground. I'm just glad that we have both in our household. It didn't just happen, of course. It took a process - reflection, realization, a shift in mindset, and then application.
Thank you and this is my response to the first question on this week's prompts by Tibaire.
Lead photo by Pixabay. 27032024/20:35ph
