The Seventh Inning Stretch - Page 2
© Joan Archer
The upshot of getting enough rest is that I am far more patient with Jasper, and he is doing much better with even his harder subjects. No longer do I fall asleep while he reads aloud, and so of course he feels more respected. With the extreme hours The Beloved works, we get along better with just the simple companionship of sleeping at the same hours. I still need a little quiet time at the end of my day, but I have taken control of that also, and this has worked out as well.
Ever since my mother died in 1999, I have made dinner for my brother. He comes over and eats, and in the past he would eventually conk out on my sofa. I would stay up and wait for him to decide to go home, but he never did. Eventually, I started getting more and more short-tempered with my family, because I was missing that alone time at the end of my day. I am not one to be rude or unkind, so nothing changed. I suppose with some people, especially those who have no real life activities (my mother sort of took up his entire life, so he never really made any friends of his own.) So my husband (My Dear Beloved) finally laid down the law-my brother could come for dinner, but he had to leave at a certain time, and he had to eat at his house for two or three days of the week. This has worked out much better, but we've actually had to tell my brother to leave a few times-he doesn't seem to be able to tell himself to do much of anything. My temper is not nearly so short, the boys get to bed on time, and the house is quiet while my husband tries to get some sleep. Much better for everyone. (Even for my brother's developing independence skills, not easy to learn at age 56.)
I began taking short walks and jogs this past summer, because I knew the feeling of heavyness I was getting all the time was due in part to being pretty sedentary. I was actually beginning to lose weight, but the oxygenation wasn't there until I began to get more physical excercise. I have been happier, and more able to think clearly. However, with winter coming on, I had to find something indoors to do, and I decided to re-enter the world of yoga. I like yoga because it improves flexibility, which is something anyone can use, but especially those of us who have had a few children. I also like it because it is not the sort of excercise where you have to "feel the burn" to get benefit from it. It also focuses on deep breathing, which has really helped with relaxation. I am much more able to feel when I am getting too stressed out, and I can stop what I'm doing and work with it. I have had a lot fewer migraines, shoulder pains, and stomach aches.
