™

Heartwings Love Notes 297 - Tender Treatment

Heartwings says, "When we love ourselves, we take care to be as good to ourselves as we are to others."

When I was a child up my parents taught me illness was either to be ignored or to be endured without complaint. They spoke scornfully about people who "enjoyed poor health." Unless I was obviously extremely ill I was encouraged to keep up with whatever I was supposed to be doing. The only reason to take to one's bed was a defined illness. Feeling slightly sick didn't count.

Recently one night I had severe stomach cramps. None of my usual remedies were effective. Tossing and turning in the dark I finally got a few hours of fitful sleep. The next day while the pain was somewhat diminished I still had some discomfort. Greatly lacking in energy, I felt like a limp dishrag.

As an adult for some years I followed the way in which I had been raised. Also as a busy mother I didn't feel I had the luxury of not being able to do whatever I needed to do whenever I needed to do it. I realize now that I could have done things differently, even though at the time I thought I was acting correctly.

Now I have learned to be kinder to myself. After a light breakfast of hot tea, yogurt and home made applesauce, I took to the couch and remained there most of the day. It felt good to nurture myself. It was comforting to take a nap. Later Stephen and I watched a film and went to bed early. I ate sparingly and the next day woke up feeling much better.

What really made me happy was that I had not pushed myself. I allowed myself to lie about and read, doze, and relax. This supported my body's healing process. Left alone the body often finds ways to heal itself of simple ills without the need of medicine. I felt secure in the knowledge that I would feel better faster if I could just rest. Loving myself meant giving myself time to heal.

May you be able to give yourself whatever time you need to nurture yourself.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

← Back to Heartwings (Index Page)

   - Click here to print this page

Prev|Next