Time for a Reboot

I’ve been off work all week. Part of this week was planned as “take my Dad to appointments” days. My original schedule was 2 days at work and 3 days off. Then Friday came…followed by Saturday…and Sunday…and each day I realized that my stress levels were overflowing and coming out my mouth. It seemed prudent to take the full five days, give everyone a reprieve and give myself a reset. Sometimes I need that. It’s like a reboot…only without a control-alt-delete. More like a week of reading, walking and reconnecting whatever synapse has gone haywire in my brain. It’s also a time for self-assessment since depression can oddly disguise itself as anger.

So, let me give you a breakdown of how my initial three days went. I’m not proud of my actions but am finding some humor as the week continues on and I find my bearings.

Friday – I walk into the bathroom at work and see a sign stating “Out of Order.” It has been there for four days. I go ballistic, searching for a plunger and terrorizing the poor administrator who desperately wants to find a plumber immediately. I plunge the toilet and text my boss (who is at home with a sick child) that I have now plunged my maximum toilets for the year…which is two.  I go back to my office and realize that I may be overreacting.

Saturday – I get myself worked up over a situation that not only has nothing to do with me but truly is none of my business. I vent my frustration to my father…who recently had a heart attack. My husband gives me frantic hand signals that I may be increasing the blood pressure of a man with multiple stents, a defibrillator, and known heart issues and that this may be contrary to some pledge that I took as a nurse. I calm down. My Dad decides to visit another offspring.

Sunday – I snap at my husband and a poor gentleman that was helping with communion….while I am filling communion cups which seems to be contrary to the entire reason that we take communion. I realize that I have LOST IT. I text my boss to request the additional two days. He remembers that I recently plunged a toilet and agrees.

Now my week off is ending. What have I accomplished?

• I took my father to his appointments and learned that no terminal damage was done during my venting. He’s a tank – impervious to his daughter’s emotional breakdowns.
• I finished two books. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. Excellent book unless you are feeling depressed and already in conflict with children being removed from their parents…then it may add to your symptoms. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. I loved it and it kept my laughing- exactly what you need during a reboot.
• I exercised almost every day which is good since I went out to eat way too often.
• I spent time every day reading the thoughts and studies of a woman that I deeply respect and pulled up every Bible verse that she looked at while she was writing.
• I finally dropped the winter comforter at the cleaners and apologized that it smelled like dog (since in the absence of dropping it off at the cleaners, the dogs had appropriated it and used it as a large doggie bed.)
• I wrote poetry for a couple that I adore.
• I spent time playing with my dogs who will be very sad next week when they are once again, left to fill their day with whatever dogs do when they are alone.
• I spent time with several friends, my boys, my father, and my husband.

I have rebooted and decided that I was just truly too stressed to plunge the toilet.

So next time…I’ll let her call the plumber.

How did your week go?