Just stick to the plan
In past posts we’ve shared some of our plans for the upcoming season. Crop maps, seedling calendars, task lists…we’re going to stay organized this year! After spending nearly all of last season playing catch up, we’re determined to execute this year. Remember all those catchphrases on failing to plan resulting in poor performance?
Well, it’s finally time for the rubber of our plans to meet the road of reality. We took one last getaway a few weekends ago, and during the trip we told everyone we encountered that we could not wait to get home and hit the ground running. We are finally “done” (it’s a relative term) with the house, we have chicks on the way, and our seedling operations are ready to come to life.
Not as planned
So, we made the long drive home and promptly discovered the best way to derail our perfectly laid plans…get sick! And we’re not talking a simple little head cold. This version of sick was full on feverish cold-sweats and three days of the fetal position in bed. Thank goodness the sickness did not hit all five of us, but the three of us it did affect suffered mightily. I rarely get sick, and, with Emily’s help, I try to maintain a strong immune system through healthy eating and natural living. But, it seems every five years or so things break down and I come down with something treacherous (the flu, pneumonia, strep throat, etc), and it nearly always culminates in a miserable sinus infection. This year things were no different.
Each time I find myself in the pit of sickness, it seems like I go through the same series of emotions. For the first day or so I still have some fight in me and I maintain an attitude of “bring it on.” I’m confident in my ability to beat back whatever the illness may have in store. Next comes the “okay, this isn’t really fun anymore” phase. As the body aches worsen and dizzy spells hit each time I move, I am reminded of my own mortality. Sure, I would still like to think I can take on anything the illness has in store, but realistically, I’m weak, and probably need some help. This is usually when I start asking for anything that might help, homeopathic, herbal, or otherwise.
“the best way to derail our perfectly laid plans…get sick!”
Getting back on the train
Finally, after I relent and admit the disease has beat me down, I enter a third phase of simply wondering whether I will ever be myself again. Even as the painfully slow process of recovery begins, questions linger in my mind. Will I ever feel motivated to get out of bed again? Will I ever have the energy to get a project done? Will I ever get back on track with my plans or are they all a waste?
With the help of a nurturing wife, encouraging parents and a trio of energy-sharing kids, I finally started creeping my way out of the despair of illness. After seemingly losing an entire week of my life (and plans) a few baby steps started moving the train of progress forward. And, inertia is a powerful thing once a train like progress is set in motion.
Now, a full three days out of the pit of disease, we are still behind where we were hoping to be. But, there are seeds about to germinate in our makeshift nursery, baby chicks brooding, and a few more minutes of sunlight in each day. We may not yet be crushing it in 2019, but we’ve taken the worst it has to offer and kept moving forward…spring will be here before we know it!
