Some mornings don’t go to plan. Mine started at 4 a.m. with the dog barking. I lay there for a while, enjoying the warmth of the bed, debating whether to get up. In the end, I figured I may as well make the most of the early start.
When the painters came the other day to do my lounge room, they only painted two of the walls. I’d asked them to leave the paint behind, so this morning I decided to finish the job myself. I painted the hallway and the remaining two walls in the lounge room. It felt good to stand back afterwards and know it was done. A big achievement ticked off the list.
In the afternoon I headed over to the kids’. We all went for a walk along a really nice walking track behind where my daughter lives. It was good to get outside, stretch the legs and spend some time together.
We made quiches for dinner and spent some time together, but there was something that really stood out today. My daughter was exceptionally unwell—far more unwell than she normally is. I just couldn’t work out what was going on. I kept thinking, “Why are you so much worse today?”
Then we realised what had happened. Her overnight feed had somehow come undone, and it had emptied onto the floor instead of going into her. That one missed feed made such an enormous difference. It was quite confronting to see. It really drove home just how much that nutrition is sustaining her. Without it, even for one night, her mental state deteriorated dramatically. It was a stark reminder of how physically fragile she is at the moment and how closely her physical health and mental health are intertwined.
It was one of those moments that makes you realise how fine the line can be.
By the time I got home, I was absolutely exhausted. I’ve done enough for one day. Some days leave you physically tired, others leave you emotionally tired. Today was both.
Tomorrow it’s back to work, and hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for all of us.
The Lady in the Back Row 