Hard adulting

A week ago, I was flying above the clouds (this is not a metaphor 😉).
And reminded, once more, how absolutely miraculous that is – to be *above* the clouds! Incredible!

I returned home from a work trip to some hard adulting, and I’ve had a cold since Saturday… Not this vicious flu doing the rounds (thank heavens!) but still the fun roundabout of snot and headache and bunged up head…

My usual response to a cold is a kind of brisk no-nonsense matron: I don’t have time for this! There’s work to be done and kids to be parented! We’re just going to march on through any symptoms… And then I end up (surprise surprise!) not only with a cold but resentful that I ‘have’ to keep all the balls in the air even when I’m feeling sick.

This time, I took a gentler approach, like a kindly nurse – I took the sweet advice I offer to friends when they’re not well. Wrapped up warm, hot water bottles, naps and going back to bed and even (even!) homemade chicken soup. The bare minimum of working and parenting to keep the wheels turning while I listen to my body…

I’m still not 100%, but I don’t feel resentful or hard done by, just a little slowed up. And it’s made me wonder what other parts of life could be approached in a gentle, accepting way… How much smoother would life flow if this was my daily approach?

What about you? What path do you take through a cold?