Health Warnings

My daughter made me a get well card yesterday. I have been sick for a little over a week, longer than I chose to recognize I was sick. I noticed a few of the signs early, but chose to ignore or explain them away. I don’t like being sick. I don’t like my wife or kids to know I am sick, because they worry, and in my role as Dad and Husband they shouldn’t worry about me (at least that is the understanding of the roles of Father/Husband I picked up on from an early age, and am slowly learning they might not be the healthiest understanding of my roles…). I don’t like to miss work. I like what I do (at least most days).

Over the past two years though, I have been sick more than I have in my life, at least that’s the way it feels. I would like to blame it on my environment, but I figure that is not really the answer. I think the truthful answer is that my body is maturing (I am told that’s just another way of saying getting older) and it can’t continue to be put through the unhealthy lifestyle of my late teens and twenties.

Over the past two years I have slowly started to learn my body gives me signs when I am about to get sick. Sometimes I heed the warnings, but often times I choose to ignore them or explain them away. When I choose to listen to the warnings I don’t get as sick, my wife and kids don’t have to worry (as much), I don’t have to miss doing the things I enjoy…

It is healthier for us to listen to the warnings signs of our bodies, our relationships, etc. But most of us have not taken the time to learn what those warning signs are, or we choose to ignore them. Too many of us have falsely believed we can just power through getting sick or conflict or whatever. Many of us choose to live and relate unhealthily, and eventually it does catch up to us. Our bodies and our relationships will only take so much. Eventually our bodies will make us stop and attempt to recover. Eventually those that we are in relationship with will say enough. Have you taken the time to learn the warning signs of your life? Do you chose to listen to those signs? When we don’t, we suffer when we don’t have to, and those around us go through stuff they don’t have to….