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"Still when I'm a mess,
I still put on a vest
With an S on my chest
Oh yes, I'm a Superwoman"
- Alicia Keys |
One day in the car with my sister, after I rather bossily ran down a list of things I thought she should do, she interrupted me and said sarcastically, "One moment. Let me just slap an "S" on my chest." Now, I can't remember what we were talking about or why I was nagging at her (completely and utterly fulfilling my roll as the Naggatha in the family), but I remember laughing so heartily that my eyes began to water. Only after wiping my tears, and regaining my composure, did I realize that there was a gem in what she had just said.
As a woman, and as a person living with Lupus, Fibro and other associated difficulties, I take on probably way more than I can handle at times and everyone else's wants and needs tend to come before my own and I find that I "slap an 'S' on my chest" and soldier on. The thing is, the 'S' I've slapped on my chest isn't attached with something that has any kind of holding power like crazy glue or Velcro. It's a wimpy peel & stick that falls off after the slightest bit of activity, requiring me to keep reapplying it, removing any foreign particles that keep it from sticking, and pressing on that 'S' harder and harder to get it to stay in place.
I remember though when that 'S' has some staying power! After putting in an 8-hour day working to give my boss the best I had to offer, I went home and gave my husband the best I knew how to give being the supportive, non-complaining, hard-working wife. The 'S' stayed on tight as I gave to my ailing mother whatever I could to keep her comfortable and her needs met. Then there was my ministry that I wholeheartedly gave time and energy to sharing comforting Bible scriptures and principles with anyone who'd listen. Then let's not forget my family and friends, both near and far, that I tried my best to maintain meaningful relationships with. My 'S' was firmly affixed and gleaming!
Enter Lupus, and as much as I fought to keep that 'S' firmly affixed to my chest, the Velcro all of a sudden seemed to accumulate all kinds of obstacles that prevented me from being able to do so. But then, joy of joys, I discovered the peel & stick kind! They don't last as long, but they allowed me to still be able to take an 'S' out every now and again and slap it on.
The thing about the 'S' is that it feels so dang-blasted good to wear, even if it's just for a short while and I may pay for it later when my Lupus flares up and keeps me in bed for weeks. But even then, laying flat on my back, I get small opportunities to slap an 'S' on my chest and feel of some use to someone, somewhere, either close by, or far away, with the loopy stories and experiences that are my lupie existence and maybe share a smile or a laugh or a nod of agreement.
So don't look up in the sky, because its not a bird or a plane, it's someone broken in body (and at times in spirit) with a peel & stick 'S' on their chest trying to do all they can, with what they have, and considering it all...pretty Super.
"Today is a Gift ~ Live Thankfully"
