Thoughts from the Sick Ward

There's nothing quite like having a cold/flu knock you off your feet and onto the couch to spiral you into some serious thinking about what really matters. I had such an experience this past week when I was hit head-on with a nasty cold/flu bug complete with body aches, chills, fever, and a horrible sore throat. Of course, in my line of work, there are not any "sick days" so my best defense was to occupy the children as best I could and curl up on the couch trying at least to rest, even if sleep was out of the question.

So, while I rested, I thought - A LOT! I thought about the fact that I run around like a crazy woman half the time convinced that I must do this and that to make life "perfect". I have been feeling like I'm running behind the past couple weeks, which I blame mostly on the fact that we have been having May-like weather in March. Makes this farm girl go outside and think wow, there's so many things that should be done, when in reality, those things are never done in March. Most of the feelings of not keeping up can be attributed to the expectations I put on myself. You know, those super woman dreams.

While I rested I also caught up on my e-mails and did some blog reading. I came across a blog that talked about this very thing I was thinking of. Interestingly, this woman made a list of the things that she DOESN'T do. I thought this was a crazy concept at first, but by the time I finished reading it, it made perfect sense to me. The point was that we can't do it all. But as mothers and women, we often think we can or that we should do it all. And, in attempting to do so, we most often burn ourselves out. So, I hoisted this idea to my husband about needing to scale back and not trying to do it all, to which he replied, "wow, you really are sick." Very funny.

I'm working on that list. My Doesn't Do List. It feels weird. . .and I almost feel guilty admitting that there are things that I don't do! But this is what I've come up with so far:

Coupons - I don't like searching for them and cutting them out and searching sale flyers to get the best deals. I always forget to use them anyway! I would much rather just shop at Aldi or buy generic brands.

Sewing - Another thing I don't really enjoy. I will take on the occasional useful project, but the words, "Oh, I'll just try to make it myself" are not going to be a part of my lingo.

Insanity Cleaning - This is the first year that I have not made a detailed list of every nook and cranny that needs to be cleaned in my house. I am spring cleaning - just not crazily! When I was first married I used to scrub my laundry baskets out. Really? Was I that bored?

Over-Decorating - I always like to be festive, but there's a point where decorating can become annoying. A few well placed items should be enough.

I could probably come up with some more once I give it some more thought. There is something very freeing about letting go of things that I don't need to do and focus on things that I truly care about and are important to me. So can I say that it was a blessing to be sick these past couple days? Not sure I'm ready to go that far, but a good dose of being knocked on my behind was exactly what I needed to refocus and make my life a little more organized and a little less stressful.