I guess it’s self-explanatory.

Like so many others- including literally half of those I shared Christmas Eve dinner with- I ended up with the flu. The good news is that now I have an extra vacation! The bad news is that I can’t go anywhere, I’m using up PTO, and I don’t feel like doing anything.

Wait. I take that last part back.

I was put on a short course of steroids. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Prednisone, it’s a steroid that comes with a few side effects. While it’s great for inflammation (like in someone’s lungs), it can make you hungry and turn you into an insomniac. New side effect for me last night- restless legs off the hook. So sleep was definitely a no-go.

Prednisone can also give you extra energy. Prednisone’s like that so-so friend who drags you along to one more bar when you know what you should be doing is going home and getting directly into bed. So while I know that I should be resting and taking it easy, there’s a lot to be done here at our townhouse rental where we’ve been for a month. So I’m taking advantage of that a little bit!

It’s easy to tell people what they should be doing to take care of themselves. But you may have heard and even experienced that it’s not always easy to take one’s own advice.

So I have to consider what I would tell a dear family member or friend what to do in this scenario: Stop cleaning. Rest as much as you can. Drink lots of fluids. Reach out to your doctor if necessary. Take your medications as directed. Take time off from work! (They will go on without you.)

I’m using this time to catch up on audiobooks. My favorite one so far has been Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, by Katherine May. I also seriously enjoyed Redwall which yes, is a children’s fantasy novel but the recording is with a full cast and included Brian Jacques as the narrator. It was excellent. The Dark is Rising was another one of my faves. This one is a classic children’s fantasy book by Susan Cooper. Great winter-time reading, on paper or audio.

I’m also catching up in my book journal. Sleeping when I can. Doing a little cleaning (but not overdoing it.)

And I try to check in with my Higher Power too. A friend of mine said that she looks at her relationship with God as an intimate one in which she invites him in to the little things in her life as well as the big. I’ve tried doing that more over the past year. When I invite God in, to those little day-to-day events, it’s easier for me to go to him with the big ones too. To look more to God’s will and not my own.

I had plans for this week. But things have changed. So I have to pause for a moment. Accept the plan I’ve been given. And rest. And in that time of rest, I can reflect. And think about all of the things that have happened this year- the good, the bad, and all the shades in between. And I think of all the people that I have in my life and all of the things that I have to be grateful for. There are so many.

I hope this post finds you well. I hope you are able to spend this evening with close family and friends. For everyone celebrating New Year’s Eve- Happy New Year to you! And thanks for being a part of my New Year’s Eve. 🙂

P. S. I hope you don’t have the flu.