Moms Denying Ourselves the Care We Need

Today I sprained my ankle really bad.

I actually rolled it on a rock left in the driveway from my young son. The lecture of leaving things in the driveway will come later. I was walking around the car and stepped on it wrong. Down I went and I’m sure the fall was not as graceful as I would have liked it to be. As I laid there in the driveway writhing in pain a million thoughts went through my mind.

First, “How am I going to get my son out who is still strapped in his car seat?” The poor guy had a panic look on his face, like the, “Oh, that’s where I left my rock. And mom looks hurt and really mad. Uh oh, I think she has the I’m going to get it look.”

Then my thoughts went on to, “How am I going to make it in the house?” “When am I going to find time to go to the hospital?” (It hurt so bad I thought I broke it) “How am I going to get the laundry done?” “What am I going to fix for dinner?” The grass needs cut, when am I going to be able to do that?”

And on, and on, and on……

In those few moments as I laid there in pain and then crawling to the car to get my son out, I had so many thoughts running through my head of “How am I….?” and not one of them was for myself with the exception of trying to find time to go to the hospital if it was broke.

That’s pretty pathetic, isn’t it? But typical for most moms.

If it was our child or spouse, we would have dropped everything to attend to their needs, but when it happens to us, our thoughts are still on our families and how are we going to take care of them.

I don’t think it’s because we want to act like martyrs, the look at me and how much I do syndrome. Really, who has time to be a martyr anyway? I think it’s just because we already do so much, we instantly think of others when something pops up, or as in my case when something knocks us off our feet.

Though I think I’ll be OK, my husband insisted I put my feet up and get some ice on it quick. I knew I needed to do that and I did do that, but not before I made my son some lunch, found him a cartoon to watch, let the dog out……… You get the idea.

I think that is one trait us moms need to keep in check. I am learning that if I don’t take care of myself, I will never be able to take care of my family over the long haul. As moms, we are so important not just for the many things we do for everyone, but also as role models to our children on the lesson of it’s OK to take care of yourself.

And I will sit back, ice my ankle and maybe catch up on some things, anything I can do from the couch. On second thought, maybe I’ll just watch some cartoons.

Now if I could just do that without feeling guilty over all the work that needs to be done.

Julie

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