Okay, so this is not a post for men (guys, you were forewarned). Women and female friends, you know the feeling I’m describing. Overwhelmed? Yep, good old life again. Sick kids who get better, get worse, a text from your ex-husband saying your son has a high fever and is vomiting, a call from the school’s clinic nurse saying to, “Please come get your daughter now. She came for a nebulizer treatment and has a 103 degree fever.” All while getting over cold amped up because of asthma that turned to yuck in your chest. Plus a major exam taken on four hours of un-refreshing sleep. Work (as much as I do love writing). Just lovely.
Men might understand some of this, if they are guys like my brother, who are super dads. But, and I hate those gendered boxes, most of the time it’s we, women, who bear the brunt of it. Many of us, especially single moms, consider it a spa day if we have time to shave our legs (in 30 seconds or less). Tweezing eyebrows? It’s a freaking Caribbean cruise! A bath??? We have to be at a resort. Our hair must be long enough so we can fling it up in a pony tail. Slap on a little make-up (Avon of course) and we’re good to go. Yep, then we get to deal with our monthly visitor and her gifts of ovulation, crabbiness, and the feeling of labor all over again or the host of issues that arrive when we stop receiving house calls from Miss Pain in the A$$ (I have yet to enjoy that). Fun stuff.
However, despite all of the craziness and the unforeseen incidents that pop up about our kids and our lives, we still wouldn’t trade being women for anything. So, female friends, here’s to you! Find some time (any time) this week to sneak off for a walk , lock yourself away for a ten minute bath, savor a cup of herbal tea, and shave those legs at a relaxed pace (take a whole 5 minutes to do it)! Do something for yourself and forget about feeling guilty about it!!! I’m off to finish my homework (reading ship shape by Dorothea Smart). I will get my ship into shape. You will too. But, it will only be reality, if we jump overboard (at least for a while)!
P.S. And, for those of you ladies who have no idea what this blog is about (I’ll try not to be too jealous), at some point you might understand. When you do, just remember, ship shape!!!!
