Yoga Lessons Continued...

On Monday night my daughter had the stomach flu accompanied by a high fever.  Whenever either of my children is sick, especially with a fever, I sleep with them so that I can monitor their fevers.  I can almost predict exactly what their temperature is based on the rate of their breathing.  I am strongly opposed to over-the-counter pharmaceuticals because they are toxic and I believe they can cause more harm than good in many instances.  A fever is the body’s natural defense mechanism for killing viruses, after all.  I just don’t see the logic in quelling the very fire that was set to burn up whatever is making you sick.  So, like most nights, I decided to ride this one out naturally.

At bedtime I curled up in my daughters bed to monitor her breathing for the rest of the night and to make sure she made it to the bathroom if she felt the urge to vomit again.  Needless to say I didn’t get a very good sleep.

On Tuesday morning when I woke up I didn’t feel so well myself.  The natural outcome of cleaning up barf and sleeping with a sick child, I guess.  I decided I would follow through with my morning commitments (a spa appointment for a manicure and pedicure) and that I would try to re-schedule my afternoon meetings.  I sent e-mails to my two afternoon appointments asking them to re-schedule but I only heard back from one them confirming receipt of my message.

As the day progressed I began to feel more sluggish and weak.  I wasn’t full on sick but I definitely wasn’t myself.

I hate to say it but I almost always, selfishly, put myself first in situations like this.  I often stand people up or back out of social engagements at the last minute but our discussion in yoga class really hit home with me.  When one girl in the class gave an example of being let down by her friend(s) and shared how crappy that made her feel, I realized that’s me and that’s just downright ugly.  I don’t want to be that person.

So despite my not feeling 100% I dragged myself to my lunch meeting and I actually had a really great time.  The person I was meeting with wanted to do business with me and she expressed this desire based on the huge amount of respect she had for me.  Now imagine if I had stood her up?

Later that night when she checked her e-mails she apologized for not getting the message in time but thanked me profusely for dragging myself out anyway.  I felt so good for following through and not letting her down.

By 8:00 p.m. I was beat so I told my daughter, who was feeling much better, to tuck me in for a change.  She climbed into bed beside me and we started talking.  She told me about all of the funny movies she had watched on her sick day home from school and we shared other related funny stories.

I told her about my new assignment for Yoga and I asked her if she had any ideas for me.

She said “Mommy, you already always tell the truth.”

“I know.” I said.  “That’s why I’m having a hard time thinking of something to do for my homework.  I never lie because I have learned that it always lands you in a bigger mess in the end” I say.

“Ya,” she says, pondering my wisdom.

“Well mom…Remember that time you bet me $100 that the CD in my player was not Justin Bieber and it turned out it actually was?” she reminds me for the one millionth time.

“Yes.” I say.

“Well you never paid me the money so you didn’t tell the truth,” she says so wisely for a seven year old.

I rolled over and pulled an envelope out of my bedside table where I keep cash for the cleaning lady.  I pulled out five crisp twenties and passed them to her.

“That’s the best decision of your life mom,” she remarked.  Clearly a line she had memorized from a television show but I have to give her credit for using it in the right context.

My mother, her grandmother, always says a person is only as good as their word and that we should always stick to our bets and do what we say we are going to do.  I think, for once in my life, I will heed my mother’s advice.

…And I must remember to withdraw some more cash before the cleaning lady comes on Thursday.