If You are Exhausted, You Are Not Alone

Over the past month, our family has been engaged in multiple parental hospitalizations. A few weeks ago, my mother-in-law died, and now I am tending to one of my parentals dealing with some serious, but non-life-threatening health issues. I am not sure how many days I have hung out in a hospital room over the past month, but today the lobby security guard had our visitor tags already printed for us before we could ask. Super welcoming, but it also means that we’ve been here too often.

This morning, the hospital caseworker entered the room to find the patient and visitor in deep slumber. For good reasons, the patient is tired and I am tired.

Not only has there been much extra expended eldercare energy, but, last night, Robin and I spent about 20 minutes hunkered down on the floor after hearing what we thought were gunshots from our neighbor’s house. Having been caught in bullet crossfire before, we were not taking any chances. After frantically checking Nextdoor for updates, we determined that it was midnight fireworks fun from someone in the neighborhood, but whew, those flash bangs were jarring and stole another night's slumber.

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I have always felt that our laments of how busy or tired we are, are not the honorable flexes that we have been programmed to believe they are, but are actually cries for help and rescue from the trap of toxic productivity that confines our spirits and leaves us less able to fully engage in life. Yes, my To Do List is backing up like a hair-infested drain, but since nothing I do is life-determining for me or others, the toxic productivity gremlins are being valiantly held at bay. Of course, I am not immune to these pressures, but since this is not my first exhaustion rodeo, I trust that I will catch up when I catch up . . . or some things will just not get catched up :-)

I am sharing this short reflection because I know that so many of you are probably exhausted as well, but do not have the luxury or inclination to share as publicly. Whether it is work, relationships, health, circumstance, or choice, I hope you are able to find ways to accept that you are tired without justification, shame, or blame. If this is you, I offer no unsolicited sleep advice or solutions, I only hope that you know that you are seen and that I and others are wishing you rest as you are able.

Rejuvenation and re-creation will come when and as they come, so let’s all agree to just be ready and willing to receive them when they do.