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SELF-CARE
I Finally Took That Mental Health Weekend
And felt the rejuvenating power of silence
Turn off the news, enjoy the silence, and meet your family
In early January, I was, for the first time in years, alone in the house with no one but the dogs. For an entire weekend.
It was heaven. The reason it was great wasn’t because I was the only human in the bed at night and could use the real estate any way I wanted (as long as I didn’t disrupt the dogs). What really happened was that I slept in the exact same location and direction I always do, because dogs are creatures of habit and did not instinctively flow into my husband’s usual location; so, neither could I.
It wasn’t fantastic because I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted (as long as I gave some to the dogs). Like the good, high-fat Aussie-style yogurt for breakfast, topped with a mountain of fresh berries and a healthy fistful of pricey granola, midmorning Saturday after dropping my husband off at LAX. Saturday lunch? Who needs it after that transcendent breakfast? Dinner: a takeout tostada at about 5 PM, and good to go for the rest of the day.
Don’t judge me for 5 PM dinner. Yes, I’m old, but also, I’ve eaten dinner early all my life. Late night…
