Yes, feisty ladies, this title perfectly describes this past week in my life. It has been a week from hell. (Friends have told me not to “pile” things together but it surely hard when it all happens in the same week.)
It all started out with an unprofessional meeting at work. I got lambasted for following the rules and my colleagues did not. They received the accolades and I did not. Go figure.
Family issues were on the front burner as well.
One Auntie had a heart attack earlier this year and was nearly having another.
Another Auntie went into the hospital for a minor procedure and came home scrambling all of her words. An additional, long distance doctor visit was required with no solution offered so far.
A family friend for many years passed away after a long illness, but we found out the sad news by reading it in the newspaper.
An Uncle is having wild reactions to medications. He sleeps all day and is awake all night. Adjustments in the medications seem to make things worse. Periods of normalcy for him are becoming fewer and fewer.
And finally, my elementary age nephewise learning to use curse words, including the f- bomb.
Yes, it has been awful.
So how does one cope with these stresses? I have a few solutions of my own below.
1. Explain to my colleagues that I deserve their respect and not their nasty words. This has been difficult, but I am making progress, I think, I hope. It also helps to talk to others who have been the victims of similar behavior from the same colleagues. Misery loves company, I know.
2. Eat potato chips. The salt seems to calm my upset stomach from all of the stresses and tears. Who knew? I might really be on to something with this solution. Cough drops help with the sore throat from crying and screaming into my pillow every night as well.
3. Phone calls to the senior family members seem to brighten their days. Even though this might seem like a short-term solution for people who are seriously ill, it does brighten their day and let them really know that I care about and love them. Better small times of happiness than none at all.
4. No word still of our family friend’s passing. We will still attend her memorial service and bring food simply because it is the right thing to do.
5. And the little boy…..imagine our shock in hearing the f-bomb come out of the mouth of a 3 year old. Many explanations ensued and the word did disappear for a few days. The little guy let it fly a second time and it was again addressed. Imagine our surprise when he told us who said it all the time. Seems that a certain adult should have his mouth “washed out with soap”. Said adult denied saying it even after the little one ratted him out. Time for kiddie counseling and adult counseling, I think.
6. Prayers have helped a lot. One always goes to the highest power when things arise like this in your life. God is better equipped to help me handle these things than anyone that I know. I have sought her advice many, many times this week. Things are improving, slowly.
7. And finally, most feisty lady friends also resort to this item when “a week from hell” arises: chocolate. I have eaten my fair share this week, sometimes as my meals.
(Perhaps I am low in magnesium from all of the tears…). I have consumed a lot of hot chocolate, candy bars, and dark chocolate hearts, too.
At the end of the week, I am feeling a bit better and hope for a much better week coming up. As we all have these weeks in our life, my solutions might work for you feisty ladies. Give them a try and let me know what you think. I am counting on them working for me as well.