Tired in my clothes

   When my sisters and I were young we lived in Japan for several years.  Our Dad was a missionary to the Chinese immigrants who had escaped mainline China and relocated to the island of Honshu.  On weekends my parents would gather up the three of us and off we would trek to one event or another.  I was never gracious about the adventures.  At the age of ten,  I wanted my grandparents, hamburgers (preferably McDonald's) and to live where I could speak the language.  Fortunately, most of the stomping and fussing was reserved for the family behind closed doors.  In public, I managed to maintain a veneer of politeness, or least as much as a cranky prepubescent girl can.
    One weekend in particular, we traipsed around to a variety of places, smiling and entertaining ourselves while the adults did whatever they were doing.  On our way home, my youngest sister, who was about three at the time started to cry.  When my Mom asked what was wrong,  my sister replied through her tears, "I am tired in my clothes!"
     All these years later, there are days when I am tired in my clothes.  As my work week ends and I head into my weekend,  Friday and Saturday,  I am reminded of my sister's words.  I am tired in my clothes, so the first thing I did when I got home is change into my comfy clothes.  But the tiredness is deeper. It has started to seep into my bones, which is always a clue that self care is in order.
     The trick is to know what rejuvenates me.  It seems as though that should be easy to answer, but it isn't.  I have spent the last several years trying to figure out what it means to care for myself. It has taken awhile but I have discovered a few things.  The first is that a hot bath will cure most anything,  add a small amount of ginger or Epsom salts and the stress just melts away.  A good book brings a bit of respite.  Dinner with friends who make me laugh puts everything in perspective.  Flinging fabric in my studio gets my brain working in a different way.  Playing with the dogs makes me smile.  A piece of chocolate releases the endorphins.  A walk energises the body and soul.  Last but not least,  have a nap will usually restore some sanity!
    I am now learning how to combine several of the above activities. Tonight I managed to have a nap in the bathtub.  Perhaps I need to rethink the multi-tasking!