Good afternoon!
This past week has been a blur, but it’s also given me a ton to write about here.
#thankgoodness
Hush.
Last weekend, we visited my college roommate and his wife in the Twin Cities. He’s been a close friend forever and the only time we drifted apart was when he and his ex were having issues. When we’d visit, she’d generally treat us fairly poorly, as if we were a bother to her.
#ick
They ended up divorced right before Covid and he remarried two years later to an amazing woman. We all have our own baggage to deal with, but she’s much more his type, and they are so sickeningly happy together that I become pre-diabetic when we visit! I can say these things because he’ll never find this online! Teehee
However, when you take care of you, it’s the relationships that you are in that can affect you. I know he wasn’t happy for years, but they stayed together. This version of him is so much more relaxed and chill. It’s been good for him to just be able to be himself. He’s admitted that he was the problem in the marriage too, but now, he’s good.
This past week, we visited friends of my wife in Missouri. They’ve dealt with various health issues, yet, remain committed to each other. As you take care of you, make sure that the relationships you are in will stand that test of time. They’ve been married 25 years and have had major ups and downs, but yet, they are still together.
We took our camper with us and worried all the way down to Missouri on Tuesday about our truck. We’ve had two times where it has overheated pulling our camper, both times when the weather got warm. Guess what? Missouri is not a cold weather climate! However, it was fine. Not a problem, the heat gauge moved, but only because it was 95 degrees and we were rolling down the interstate. I expect movement there. But not once did it become an issue. Taking care of you means that sometimes, you worry about nothing. I wasn’t too stressed, but my wife, eek. Sometimes you have that worry because you care.
Yesterday, there was a 5K run that my brother’s family has really enjoyed. It’s put on by friends of my brother, and they do a great job. It’s a run to fund various suicide prevention programs throughout the year, and it started, in part, because of friend of theirs took his life in high school. My wife and I have gone once, but it’s always been on a show weekend. This weekend, we didn’t have a cow show, but got back from our little jaunt to Missouri at 7:30. Sometimes, taking care of you means you prioritize you. The race started at 7:30, and honestly, we were still sleeping and didn’t move much throughout the day. It was a Sunday on Saturday, a day of rest.
#restisgood
Indeed it is. The older I get, the more I realize that prioritizing ourselves and our own well-being is best for all around us. If I’m not getting sleep, I get grumpy. If I’m not moving, I don’t sleep well, which means I get grumpy. This connection can be made with so many things in our lives. Taking care of ourselves is so important and I’m glad that younger people realize this now rather than when they are in their 50s!
How do you take care of you? I’d love to know in the comments! 🙂


June 17, 2024 at 6:28 am
I love your message, “Taking care of you!” So often, we put ourselves last! Ways we take care of ourselves and each other…removing ourselves from toxic family members (no clue they could exist but they do) and putting our canoe on the river for a day of paddling upstream, hanging out in the shallow rapids to cool off, and fishing.
June 18, 2024 at 10:01 pm
Toxic family members, ugh! I love the idea of a good paddle upstream! There’s not much canoeing up here, much more kayaking! But still, it would be wonderful! 🙂
June 19, 2024 at 11:11 am
Darin, good for you, writing two blog posts in three days. I just had to come and read this one too. You made me smile and/or say, “Ahhh,” several times when you were describing the friends and their relationships, (pre-diabetic with their sweet happiness together, for instance) How I take care of myself is writing, reading, and on these beautiful summer mornings, sitting outside in the early mornings meditating and watching the quail (with their tiny babies in tow), bunnies, and listening to so many birds here in the Mojave desert.