Week 24, Day 4

The week has flown by. I didn't want it to. I wanted time to crawl by so somehow I could become stronger, more ready for Monday. It didn't, and I'm not. But Monday will come anyway.

I don't remember much of what I've eaten. There hasn't been much of it, so I don't think it has hurt my diet too much. I did have some ice cream the other night. Not much, though. Less than a cup. I had a chili dog the other day, but that lasted for both lunch and dinner. Not quite in line with the nutritious, grass-fed meat choices I've been trying to make lately, but oh well. I felt better after eating it. And in days past I would have eaten six of them, followed by a box of Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls. I didn't do that this time, so progress has been made.

Exercise has been a few leg lifts and whatever housework provides. I've spent my time sorting through things and tossing whatever I can. Simplifying. Getting rid of old magazines I always intended to read, catalogs I thought I would buy from, clothes I hope I never fit in again. And scrubbing mineral stains in the toilet (which, by the way, still won't come out and still look terrible).

Tomorrow is the last day to prepare since Sunday I go pick up Mom and Dad and bring them to my home. Will they cry as Dad leaves his home for what may be the last time? I have to be ready. If he does, I cannot crumble. I have got to find a way to be strong if they are not. So I have cried this week whenever the mood has hit -- which has been frequently -- so I can have as much of it out of my system as possible. My hope is that I will have embraced the sadness fully and disposed of it so I can then embrace the positive strength fully when it is needed.

Today's Tip:
I've noticed I have had a tendency to breathe shallowly this week. A sign of anxiety? So I have made efforts to stop and breathe deeply whenever I notice. I am a woman of faith, so I have also tried to remember key verses that have particular meaning to me. 2Timothy 1:7 says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. That seems particularly relevant now. Jeremiah 29:11-13 says that God has plans for us, that He hears us, and that when we seek Him, He will be found. Good things to remember and contemplate as I breathe deeply. When life gets difficult for you -- and it will, as it does for all of us from time to time, take time to breathe deeply to stay calm. And as you nurture your body, don't forget that nurturing your spirit is an important aspect of good health, too.