To say I have been stressed lately is an understatement. I try to manage the stress of my life and committments like everyone else, then my body sends me a sign to remind me to slow down.
It happened this past Saturday, the day this newsletter was to be written and published (I am a just in time writer!). I was on my way to pick up my niece when I received a call from my Dad that traffic on my route was backed up. As I ended the call, I realized my vision was obscured and I was having an ocular migraine. Driving is not the ideal situation for an ocular migraine. I panicked, for a number of reasons, and continued driving for a few miles on a busy highway. I called my sister and pulled over. The good thing about ocular migraines is that they last only 30 minutes and don't typically come with a headache.
I spoke with my sister, and attempted to calm down. I finally drove to a parking lot and sat in the shade for about 15 minutes and the migraine passed. Now, I had to deal with the adrenaline rush and crash plus figure out if I was going to continue driving to pick up my niece.
We decided to wait until Sunday to meet to begin our annual Camp Aunt Debbie week and I decided not to write my newsletter on Saturday or Sunday. I allowed my body and my spirit to recover on Saturday and then I filled it with Joy on Sunday as I picked up my niece and we had tons of fun together. Sunday Funday!
As I sit here early Monday morning writing, I knew I needed to share my experience as a reminder to pay attention to the signs. My ocular migraine was a sign to slow down and rest. And picking up my niece was a reminder to stop and smell the roses - have fun - enjoy life. You can write your newsletter tomorrow. We can't always push our committments to the next day or week, but when you can, give yourself permission to be late or miss a deadline. It will all work out.
