A Brave Writer’s Life in Brief

I thought I’d pass along a little “doctor wisdom” that I’ve been pondering. A surgeon told me that many people think about diet and exercise as preventative measures—to protect against disease, for instance. But health matters just as much (if not more) for when you are injured or attacked by disease out of the blue! Having a body that is in good shape ensures a better surgery and an easier, healthier recovery. In short, we should protect our health so that we can recover, not just so that we can avoid illness/injury.

I got to thinking about this as a principle for living. Too often we are given measures for how to recover from burn-out or are told how to repair broken relationships. In homeschool, we might find ourselves looking for strategies to cope with overwhelm or special needs. If we face these challenges from a personal deficit (tired, hungry, lonely, depressed, alienated from our primary life partner), we are much less able to cope.

However, if we spend time each day remembering that we matter (our personal well-being, our confidence, our natural optimism that is there for us when there is margin and light in our lives), and we take measures to ensure we are emotionally fit, when we are faced with temper tantrums or an unanticipated demand, when the day goes south or a child is sick, we are more prepared to meet that challenge from a place of peace and trust.

I know for me that if I am exhausted and sad, a child’s whining or the argument happening between siblings sometimes draws my worst self—I might snap or yell or insist. When I am “topped up” emotionally and have some reserves, when I really know that how my kids behave is not a reflection on my value as a person, I can respond from a place of power (being firm and kind).

So today, I thought I’d pass that little bit of advice onto you. Stay fit—emotionally, mentally, spiritually (whatever that means to you), and physically. If you can manage these, when life throws its curve balls at you, you’ll have the stamina to face the challenges and the ability to recover from the blows.

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