FIGHT LIKE A GLADIATOR

On most days I fight like a gladiator and deal with whatever life throws at me. But there is usually a point where everyone (even a gladiator) breaks. And funnily enough I always find that after managing big, scary issues it's usually something tiny and seemingly trivial that tips me over. I don't think I'm on my own in this regard. For example, today my heavily pregnant sister in all her gladiator splendour, almost broke over a zebra clip. She has battled through all the challenges of pregnancy with a two year old in tow and she's almost at the finish line. But her two year old's tantrum today about the choice of hair clip almost broke her. That and the fact that said toddler today also didn't like the fact that her shirt had armholes. Like I said, even a gladiator breaks sometimes!

So three weeks ago I was in my own gladiator splendour...

Daughter having thyroid removed? No problem!
Panic attacks while daughter in theatre? No problem! I'll push through.
Mother falls over, breaks shoulder in 3 spots and needs taking to hospital? We got this!
Mother admitted to hospital for 5 days because of breaks and flu. Still soldiering through!
Daughter 2 has mini medical drama...sorted .
I get flu ( worse than Mum)...pfft
I get laryngitis...who needs a voice anyway?
Husband gets flu ( worse than anybody in the universe).

And then one day while getting ready to fight another day, I looked in the mirror and that's when my gladiator armour dissolved. I looked bloody awful. My nose was red raw and looked about twice its normal size. My eyes were bloodshot and my skin was terribly blotchy, presumably from the stress which had totally taken over my body.

It was the giant nose that really did it! That was my breaking point. And I tell you crying about it didn't help, because the laryngitis made me sound even more pathetic than I looked.

I'd like to think I gave in gracefully. I let my daughter ring for a doctor. I stayed in bed and slept and slept and slept. I even took a holiday from my blog. As my psychologist would say "I self cared". The old me would have soldiered on and would never have had 5 minutes to look in a mirror.

The newer me knows better than to be beaten by a big, ugly, red nose. The newer me also knows that fighting like a gladiator for long periods will eventually make you break if you don't take a deep breath, take time out, reorient yourself and then eventually move on.

I'm feeling very wise and so much better.

Till next time...xxx