I recently discovered what it feels like to have something getting on my nerves. Now that I have experienced nerve pain I won’t take that statement lightly again.
My pain was caused by the shingles virus. It started with a rash on one leg that wasn’t as much painful as prickly.
The diagnosis was an unpleasant surprise. I’d heard some nasty things about this virus and didn’t want them confirmed. After a brief pity party, I made the decision to remain positive.
A few hours later a co-worker contacted me to say she’d be willing to work the next few days for me if I wanted time off. My initial response was to tell her thanks anyway, but no thanks. After all, I was fine! When I realized accepting her offer wasn’t a sign of weakness but an opportunity to take care of myself, I accepted.
By the end of the day, I couldn’t tolerate clothing touching my leg. Shingles is usually concentrated on a single nerve band. In my case, three nerve bands were involved. What a time to be an overachiever!
My concentration and focus weren’t ideal but I didn’t want to miss my self-imposed writing deadlines. Within twenty-four hours of my diagnosis, I’d completed my monthly newsletter and a regular blog post. After they were published I discovered both had spelling errors in them. Normally I’d beat myself up about this. Instead, I cut myself some slack. I knew I’d done the best I could under the circumstances and that was good enough.
I can’t change the past any easier than I can eliminate this virus. All I can do is change how I react. Since I am responsible for my own experience, there’s no need to let things get on my nerves.
I’ve often heard people say that time slipped away. In my case this was a literal statement when my watch slipped out of my hand, hit a concrete floor and ended up in three pieces.
Brian and I walked to the lakeshore to watch the sun set. Its bright light reflected on the surface of the water as it slowly moved toward the horizon.
Brian saw it first. There on the top of one of the tall towers supporting power lines, was a huge eagle nest.
nest. Upon scanning the area, we discovered an adult eagle on a nearby tower, keeping watch.
When the parent thinks the eaglet is ready, it will push the young one out.
We saw them as we were walking along the beach. Three children had dug a hole in the wet sand and were now sitting in it, slathering themselves with mud.
Oh, the joy of annual inventory! In a gift store with many small items, the job can seem overwhelming. By the end of the second day, I was getting frustrated with myself when I forgot my tally and had to recount several items.
Do you ever talk back to your GPS? Not only do my husband and I talk back to ours, we challenge it on a regular basis!