The pain in my mouth was a scream
I took a break from blogging to focus on working through some health challenges. I’m not sick to the point of malfunction but I’m also not at optimum health.
When we are young, we can run on overdrive and even on empty. Our youth allow us to quickly bounce back. We can go on for days and months without feeling like we have to pay for it. But not so when we are in our 60s. OK, I know I’m not saying anything that we don’t know. It’s not rocket science.
Running our bodies on overdrive is like using our credit card. There will be a pay back day. My payday came when I started experience pain in my cheek mucosa. Even the minty taste of toothpaste felt biting. For months I couldn’t take anything hot, sour, or spicy. It came quietly and then suddenly it shouted at me. What a torture for a Peranakan when a meal is never complete without our curries, blachan (fermented shrimp paste) and chillies!
How did I get this way? It’s been years of neglect, years of being in denial, years of focusing on caregiving, work, serving others, chasing a dream, a passion. I’ve seen some people I know who suddenly aged overnight. I saw them in the glory youth. It was a gentle whisper “take care of yourself”. The pain in my mouth was a scream “take care of yourself NOW!”
Well I’ve dropped a lot of things. Mum who sees me in agony tells me to take care of myself. I’m ever so thankful that I have a reliable gem of a helper who loves mum and in many ways is taking care of Mum in ways I cannot. I’m jealous! But grateful.
I’m feel much better now – the pain has reduced drastically. It took many years of neglect to get this way. It will take time to get everything in order. The point is, I’ve started.
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
– 3 John 1, ESV
What are you doing to take care of yourself?