In the “funnies” section of the newspaper, recently the Retail™ comic
strip
Showed Marla the store manager fretting about her appearance. Her
anguished comment to a co-worker was that “I work too hard to look my age!” It
struck me that most of us do look our age because the travails of everyday life
and living are too weighty to bear without some consequential looks of “aging”.
Anyone who acts as a full-time caregiver for a chronically unwell
family member can identify with the parallels between new moms and their
darling babies… Refreshing sleep, sufficient downtime and unending
responsibilities all take their toll – which ultimately reflects in one’s
appearance. Do you see a pair of raccoon eyes looking back at you from the unforgiving
mirror?
Both women and men require recommended amounts of sleep to stay well,
feel rested and aware, and maintain both mental and physical health. If
employment comes into the equation there is increased responsibility to not
take days off, keep your performance in the workplace sharp, and don’t whine
about the inequalities of life and living. Co-workers may utter sympathetic
murmurs and shake their heads sagely – nevertheless it can all feel
overwhelming , relentless and solitary.
If you’re wondering whether that light at the end of the tunnel you see
is relief in the future, think again – maybe it’s a train! Admonitions to “take
care of you first” fall on our deaf ears – though we know that this truism
makes perfect sense.
For someone else!
What fun to have a mini-holiday – run away to a remote cabin with no
phone and just sleep, swim and paddle my own canoe!
This gauzy dream will be fulfilled this afternoon when I catch some
zzzzz’s.
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