Today was not my finest hour, or really my finest several hours. I was sick today, and pretty much dead to the world. As such, I had to mentally reorganize my schedule to put off today what needs to be done tomorrow. And then promptly take a nap (which for me I do as often as skydiving, which I never do).
Sick days are pretty much the worst things to ever happen to me. Why? Let’s just examine my gene pool for a minute: my mother never comes back to bed after she’s out of it, unless it is night time, of course. (In fact, I actually watched a television show the other day where the mom was sick and she was in bed and I realized that I had never seen my mom do that before.) Then my dad quite literally has not missed a day of work in 28 years, unless of course he has a vacation day.
Now, this wouldn’t bother me so much if my parents weren’t really successful and awesome people. I mean, if I saw them getting behind on the mortgage because they are such go-getters and that they never stop, then maybe I’d be a little more keen to take a sick day every once in awhile. Or at least allowing myself to think I deserved a sick day.
OKAY, OKAY. I can’t blame this all on my parents. I certainly can’t blame a stomach flu on them, either. But today wasn’t easy and I’m bitter. I’m dedicated to my responsibilities, and I h a t e abandoning them, even for a day.
So, I’m not trying to say everyone should take more sick days to remember what’s important and to take care of ourselves, or whatever that’s about. I’m not encouraging you to play hooky or take a mental health day. That’s really not my style.
I’m just saying that when you need to take a sick day (in my house, 100 degree fevers were about the only criteria for this, but you know), then you should. You can’t do your best when you’re not feeling your best. And if you don’t take the time to recover, you’re going to wake up one day like me, not with the stomach flu but with way too many unused homework passes because you thought you needed to save them. But really? Sometimes saving things for a rainy (or sick) day can mean that you never do them at all.
Bailey Dailey 