Friday, July 22, 2022

At Least

This painting by Franciszek Paderewski reminds me so much of going wild mushroom foraging with my mother when I was a child. What a feast she would create afterwards.

I comfort myself with the oddest words and phrases. Living alone, I suspect I'm not alone in doing this. I imagine if not living alone we rely on a partner to buck us up.

Self bucking-up involves tasks that are often challenging but can be managed with a little encouragement. 

But I say to myself regularly: at least I can do this or that. And remind myself that so many don't have homes or have far more serious and life threatening issues.

I remember one time, on a summer spent on a West Cork, Ireland island about twenty years ago we were discussing how often airline pilots were applauded at the end of a flight just for doing their jobs.

And we asked each other shouldn't that apply to those who weren't paid but were just doing what was necessary?

There was a huge cast of characters in the old farmhouse, relatives and dear friends coming and going all summer. Each time someone brushed the floor or did the dishes or went down to the farm for the milk or gathered field mushrooms for supper or brought in the clothes from the line we all stood and applauded. And it made everyone feel good, so much is taken for granted in the small tasks of necessary work that we do, often completely unacknowledged by those around them.

So on particularly poor days I applaud myself with little phrases like "good girl!" "well done!" even for washing a  few dishes or tidying up or paying the bills. I sometimes take a little bow to my imaginary audience. Because some efforts are supreme and exhausting. A couple of "well dones" from my doctor the other day stoked me up a lot. He knows. At least I'm on the phone or on the internet. At least I am managing my own health along with my medical people.

Being old and sick is a full time job. Very poorly paid. We need all the encouragement we can get.


33 comments:

  1. What a nice post. I will say “well done” to myself more often - I like that idea. I knew I had 4 letters to write this morning and get them to the letterbox by lunchtime. I was VERY pleased to get them done but didn’t say “well done” which would have completed the task nicely.

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    1. I applaud you Anne, very well done on those letters and carting them to the letterbox is another brava!
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  2. Occasionally I've said to myself, Well done you.
    How weird to applaud an airline pilot. I've not come across that.
    Certain people receive knighthoods or damehoods for just doing their jobs.

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    1. Always on the transatlantics to Ireland, Andrew, though that might have gone by the board in Covid Times.
      I get so angry at those bonuses and awards given to people who are just doing the bare minimum. I'm a firm believer in health care workers and servers being so honoured when they go above and beyond.
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  3. Do the Irish have an equivalent to the OBE? If so it should be yours...I have never said "well done" to myself, but it isn't too late to pick up the habit...

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    1. Oh E, you are so sweet. Yes, I would say well done to you a whole lot. You are amazing in how you manage your life with many challenges. Brava E!
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  4. This post is a pat on the back. A well done. Good job. An OBE, even.

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  5. Self kindness, much less self congratulation is something I fail at only too often. A work in progress, like so many things.
    Like Andrew I am infuriated every year when awards are handed out to people who do their jobs (and said jobs are often very well paid). I would love to see those awards and recognition given to those who, as you say, go above and beyond.

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    1. It's a difficult bridge to cross EC as I was brought up in a house that believed that any praise gave one a "swelled head" along with the sin of vanity. Praising oneself is very important especially when every day tasks come everests to those of us with physical challenges.
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  6. Well done on writing this post. As parents we're always patting other's backs, but our own need padding too. I hope to remember better from now on.

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    1. Yes, we all deserve applause even if it's self-applause. I say often to myself "you can do this," and then self congratulate when it's done.
      It really does work Charlotte.
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  7. "Well done" ... on a great blog post! It's a good idea for all of us to applaud ourselves, whether we live alone or with others.

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    1. Ah another one brought into the fold. And seriously, I don't care who hears me.
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  8. This is lovely and also heaven-sent to me this particular day. What a wonderful thing to do for oneself (and to others of course) and I shall plan to say "well done" to me every now and then.
    Take care of yourself, as I know you do and as another "up in years" and living-alone person I continue to read and thoroughly appreciate you and your writings.

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    1. Thank you so much Marge, Every little bit of encouragement helps us even when self-administered along with our meds which we remember to take with a well done me! when we ingest. :D
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  9. Well, I don't think I've ever said, "well done" to myself (to my grandchild certainly), but I have said (many times) " You can do this..." to myself.

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    1. Yes, that's one of my phrases too, Rian. Or another one "at least you can try!"
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  10. I think you should always praise yourself for a job well done. I sometimes think, "if not me, then who?" A favorite phrase of mine during the day is, "you can do this." I used it with my students quite often, encouraging them when they seemed to want to give up. One of the last times I saw my sister she said to me, "You are quite capable of doing anything you want." I remember those words when I feel tenuous.

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    1. That's odd, DKZ. I was thinking of my BFF who died a few years back and she would always say to me when I was down "Remember when you.....?" and cite something amazing I had done and it would really help me gain perspective. I love what your sister said. My mother was equally supportive of me.
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  11. I applaud myself too. I look at my cleaned kitchen and tell myself, "looks good, Well done" and similar with any cleaning job. When my washing machine finishes another load, I give her a thankful pat too, she's getting on in years (25 now) and still working like new. I think it's good to tell yourself you're doing great.

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  12. I had enough and more applause and encouragement yesterday when I attended a birthday party of another old geezer where my regular group had assembled. The commuting to and fro and the walking in the compound with very wet surfaces did give some trouble but the meeting itself was worth all the trouble.

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    1. Well done Ramana to manage both the commuting and the walking. Considerable effort for you. Bravo!
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    2. oh, i understand this! very well done!

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  13. I'm trying to get into the habit of exercise and because I haven't really ever exercised I started with a single minute on the exercise bike then congratulated myself thoroughly!
    I also tell everyone around me how well I have done, which is funny considering they could all do it with their legs tied together.
    Well done, you! It takes guts to keep going

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    1. A minute is a wonderful thing, Kylie and yes, take a bow. We are all completely programmed by those super athletes who minimize our accomplishments by almost sneering at our trivial efforts.
      I was a runner and tennis player in my time and believe you me when I say that if I walk a corridor here without stopping it's my own personal marathon and takes so much more out of me than in my racing days.
      We deserve far, far more applause for our efforts.
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  14. It helps to live with somebody. Have you considered moving in with your daughter?

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    1. Absolutely not Gigi. I value my independence too mightily and I have raised her to value hers. I've seen it both hinder and help to live with someone so I keep an open mind on which is best.
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  15. Hope you're speaking your self-praising words aloud and not just thinking them. so you can hear them.

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    1. Oh I'm a loudmouth to myself, Joared. I shudder thinking of people overhearing my own personal cheerleading squad!
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  16. Glad you're managing to "self buck-up" and not get too disheartened by your limitations. What really disturbs me here in the UK is that everyone applauded health workers for their herculean efforts during the pandemic, but now the pandemic is over they're being treated with disdain once more - terrible pay and working conditions are leading thousands of them to quit for less stressful jobs and better salaries.

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    1. Same situation here Nick, thrown on the garbage pile now and they are quitting in droves. A health crisis, as it is everywhere.
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  17. When on your own you need to self buck up!!
    I was on an Emirates plane in 2018, landing in a storm of golf ball sized hail with added lightning strikes in Christchurch NZ..and that was after doing a detour ground the local mountain to avoid a storm! He was applauded....he deserved it!!

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