I grew up being told to change your oil every 3,000 miles or every 3 months. (We won’t talk about those times that I thought checking the oil meant just dropping a quart of oil into my beloved RX-7 in high school lol). As I grew older and cars got “smarter” it went to 5,000 miles. Somehow i always fly through those 5,000 miles and suddenly i get the memo that i need to change the oil in the car. Thanks to COVID, i didn’t drive nearly as much as normal and my little sticker told me I should have changed the oil in April when i first got the oil change message. Like most things, i ignored it though and suddenly I had a “OIL CHANGE REQUIRED” memo. I had the oil change scheduled for the 16th…. except we ended up in KC instead so TODAY i finally took my car to get its oil changed.
So for now that glaring judging message is gone but that got me thinking. Where’s my maintenance required flashing sign?? I look back over the past 18 months and i’m pretty sure i’ve been running on fumes for about 17.5 of those 18 months. So many sleepless nights. My mind not shutting off. To do lists that were never ending. I was doing it all!! I really needed a bright flashing light telling me to take time for myself.
Luckily I have great friends and family that could see the signs even when i couldn’t. I remember getting into Marci’s car one day and before we had even backed up the tears were flowing. I don’t even know what i’d said in a text message but she knew enough to say “hey, want to ride with me to Derby?” She knew i needed an outlet and some time away. She didn’t laugh at me for crying over who knows what it was that day but she knew i needed to “change my oil”. We stopped for a fountain diet pop and i’m pretty sure some french fries and by the time she dropped me back off I was good. I had a mini maintenance.
We all need to take time to put back into ourselves. Whatever it takes – is it a face mask? A long bubble bath? Singing in the shower for 30 mins (or crying it out its ok to)? A massage? Reading a book? Doing your nails? Driving for ice cream? Lunch with your girlfriends? Friends who bring you cupcakes outside the dialysis center? Friends who bring your a beverage? Friends who bring you crab rangoon? (I’m beginning to see a pattern as to why i may have gained 20 pounds because i eat my feelings hahaha). Whatever it is, just remember you can’t pour from an empty glass. YOU require regular maintenance just like your car!!
Tell me… what did you do to maintain your sanity today???
