As women we “play” so many different roles: mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, employee, volunteer, business owner, caretaker, and the list can go on and on. While we happily and unselfishly dedicate ourselves to these roles, there are times when we become overwhelmed with the enormity of the responsibilities that come with them.
Joyce Maynard, author of “Finishing Touches,” Parenting Magazine (November 1992) said,
“In the event of an oxygen shortage on airplanes, mothers of young children are always reminded to put on their own oxygen masks first, to better assist the children with theirs. The same tactic is necessary on terra firma. There’s no way of sustaining our children if we don’t first rescue ourselves. I don’t call that selfish behavior. I call it love.”
Firemen actually do the same thing when they go in to rescue people; they first put the oxygen mask on themselves before sharing it with the people they are rescuing.
It doesn’t matter if we have young children or older children, husbands, siblings, parents, employees, friends, or co-workers, as women we always have someone who is depending on us. Rarely do we take the time, the opportunity to play the “me” role, not to be selfish, but to encourage our spirits, our souls. We need to take the time and energy to take care of ourselves.
There is a saying, “We have to give ourselves to ourselves before we
give ourselves away.”
Basically this means we have to take care of ourselves before we can effectively and lovingly be there to take care of others, to fill the roles we all have.
The next several posts will explore the gifts that we should be giving ourselves: the gift of good health, good finances, good friends, good thinking and good feelings.
In the meantime, remember that,
“Your presence is a present to the world. You’re unique and one of a kind.”
