All I needed was a break! That’s why I took time off… I needed a break to rest, recover and reassess how I could move things forwards in a way that didn’t burn me out. Because I was already feeling tired from the intensity of everything I had been working on.

We also needed me to be home as we were planning a mini home renovation as well.

Turns out that’s not what the universe had in mind…

What happened?

Two weeks ago, my kid went out for lunch with his cousin and family. As I was about to meet my mother for lunch, I get a call from this family asking us to meet them at Canossa Hospital as our son was seriously injured.

😱 Panic!!!

We rush over to the hospital to find my son in hysterics… wailing uncontrollably from pain. Boiling hot water served at a restaurant spilt on his arm and took off layers of his skin and caused blisters everywhere. All we could do was to hold him and tell him everything was going to be alright.

We had a wonderful doctor who treated him, but were told we would have to come in regularly to the hospital to change the bandages and clean the burn. Shahan would have to miss a couple of days off school. Ok, my down time was off to a rough start, but still manageable. My helper away anyway and I was planning to take the first two days to reorganise the house in time for the renovation and prepare for an upcoming family wedding the following week. Shahan could just lay in my bed while I sorted that all out. So I worked on that and tended to my son like a nurse (as you do). Things were looking good and by the end of the week, he was back at school. House was organised and I was set for the next week, ready for some self-care.

But turns out, it’s not what the universe had in mind either.

Last Monday, I went for a manicure and pedicure to kick off some self-care. I received a call from Shahan’s school asking me to pick him up because he had a high fever. Thank goodness they called me just as I was paying and I ran over to get him. I was so worried his wound was inflected. We rushed to his paediatrician. He caught influenza A! On top of everything he had been through, now he had to deal with this. So the last week of school, he was home suffering from a high high fever and we were now not only back and forth from hospital redressing his wound but now back and forth from the doctors as well treating his flu!

He wasn’t sleeping at night. He was up every couple of hours needing the toilet. My daughter however went to school, so I was up super early to walk the dog, prepare her school lunch and sort out the house, while tending to Shahan who could only manage sleep, toilet and me forcing him to sip water and take his medication.

We missed most of the wedding festivities… but that was fine…. Shahan was really in a bad way.

These are the times when your mind reverts back to unhelpful thought patterns. I was feeling really sorry for myself, drained, tired, exhausted and all my plans for rest and recovery were out the door.

I was angry and bitter at the universe for not allowing me the space to do what I wanted to do… and then I received it…

A DOSE OF PERSPECTIVE

It was all I needed (thanks Katia!)

Because the universe works in mysterious ways. My son suffered the worst two weeks of his entire life. A nasty scald on one arm, fever that went up to 104 and wouldn’t come down for 3 days, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, cold, congestion and back and forth from medical appointments. And how lucky that I was free… free to be by his side 100% of the time. To hold him while he cried, to cool him down and feed him. To make him laugh and comfort him when he was at his worst.

I was not working… I was not at teacher training… I was not at Kriya weekend retreat (which I had rescheduled to the week prior)…

I was home, by my son’s side looking after him when he needed me the most.

And like everything in life… bad situations pass.

I caught the flu too. That’s what happens when you are running on empty.

So now I’m home, recovering from my illness, reflecting on the past two weeks events… at least Lynette is back from her break so at least I can take a couple of days to rest.

I received a number of emails from friends and students asking how my rest has been… It seems as though they are ready for me to come back in full swing after Easter, but the truth is, I’m so not ready.

Sorry… I have decided to be stubborn and give myself more “me” time.

When will I be back?

Not sure… but when I feel rested, caught up and ready.