Saturday, January 07, 2006

Taking Care of You First

All the Mommy Magazines have articles about taking care of yourself, because you can’t take care of anyone else unless you take care of you first. I thought they were referring to making time for a massage at a spa once in a while or joining a weekly book club. Those are good quick fixes, but taking care of you has a bigger meaning. The reality is, it means making time for an annual physical and an occasional dental appointment. And if you need to meet with a therapist, go to a 12-step meeting or get new glasses, it means that, too.

This whole concept can be seen in the safety speeches given by flight attendants. While explaining the oxygen masks, they always say that if you’re traveling with a child you should secure your mask first, then assist the child with his or hers. Before I was a mom, I always thought that was odd. If I had an uncomfortable, squirming child in my lap it seemed to make more sense to get him or her settled and safe as soon as possible. But then I realized that in that situation, I’d be unconscious long before I finished with the child. I certainly wouldn’t be able to care for the child while I was passed out, no matter how much maternal instinct I have. So, if I’m ever on a plane with any or all of my beloved offspring and we loose cabin pressure I must take care of myself first or I literally won’t be able to take care of them. Lesson learned. Buh-bye.

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