Just Breathe

Eventually it all catches up. I think for the past month I have been a juggler, trying to finish grad school, teaching, parenting, little league schedules, reading, writing, and more. Well, juggling it all until today. I woke up with a monster headache and felt like I had slept twenty minutes instead of eight hours. I stumbled down the stairs and dialed the school. Please get me a substitute.

Back up the stairs I lay in bed, my mind racing. Sitting up I wrote sub plans on my laptop and sent them to the teacher across the hall. Woke the boys, got them out the door and off to school.

Returning home I took a short nap but it was disrupted with intrusive to do lists. I sat back up and decided to get something done. I grabbed the research I had for my final paper, which is due in a week. My notes were already gathered, a rough outline written. I quickly scanned over everything and sat down and wrote it. Three hours later I stretched, read it twice more, and emailed it off. It felt like a 200 pound weight had left my chest.

Quickly I thought of what else was weighing on my mind. A blog I promised to write, an article I wanted to submit. I grabbed a bite to eat and then sat down. Those were written and submitted or scheduled.

Breathe in, breathe out.

I looked up at the clock; it still wasn’t even the end of the school day. Jumped in the shower, drank a glass of water, assessed myself. I feel like a new person.

Sometimes your body tells you when you are on overload, if you will just slow down and listen to it. Today, I did. And I feel so much better for it.