As the first weekend of December came in sight, I found myself getting excited. I don’t hardly ever go out. I like being home. But on December 3rd, our work group had a planned get together for an early holiday. It was going to be an outdoor event with food and music and watching sail boats go by. It promised to be a nice get together with people I really enjoy and care about.
When lo and behold, the afternoon rolls around and I start feeling funny. I don’t get sick often, so I was in denial. I thought I was just tired. But, apparently the Universe had other plans because even before evening fell, I was feeling like crap and I knew I couldn’t go anywhere. Besides, I would feel terrible if I got anyone else sick.
The bright side? It wasn’t COVID, but I did have a flu virus that kept me in bed for an entire week. I have not been that sick in a while. At first I was fighting it cause I just don’t like being sick. But all I was doing was making myself worse. When I finally got smart and decided to listen to my body, the rest that came was more peaceful and restful… comfortable. In fact and this may sound crazy, after about the 3rd day or so, I was grateful that I got a chance to rest. I was saying “Thanks” whenever I remembered. The crazy part? I think saying thanks made my recovery better, easier, and faster.
I was able to return to work this Monday. I was still tired, but I knew I was on the mend. I don’t know, I may be imagining things and maybe I did just get better because the virus worked itself out, but I can’t let go of this idea that accepting and even thanking my time of rest helped me heal.
Here’s what I’m taking out of this. Sometimes our plans go sideways. Sometimes we are detoured despite our best plan to move forward. But, if you remember to pause and adjust to the change and go with it, the outcome could be better than expected. The lesson for me is… Rest, breathe, and trust the Universe.
Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash
