Q: "How are you doing?"
A: "I'm fabulous, how are you?"
I love my life. BUT, let's be honest, fellow farm wives: sometimes it's hard! When someone asks me the above question, I ALWAYS answer with the latter statement, whether I mean it or not. I think I'm not alone in that. Somewhere deep down, I am afraid that if I admit that I am struggling one day or I'm angry that my husband is working too hard, then I might fall into a deep dark hole or something.
I am a firm believer in Kevin Costner's "If you build it, they will come" mentality. If I'm feeling down, and someone asks me how I am doing, and I answer with an emphatic, "WONDERFUL!!," I tend to feel more wonderful. Essentially, if I say that I am soooo happy, I tend to feel more happy.
BUT--things are not always wonderful, and it is OKAY to feel sad, angry, upset, worried, or flustered about that. It is okay. It is okay to let that enthusiastic front falter a little. Kevin Costner is not ALWAYS right, of course. While a little positivity can build you up, it's also healthy to take a deep breath and say, "I'm not great." Without being honest about how we are doing, we aren't able to get the support we need, when necessary.
So, if a little positive pretending helps you out, that's great! But if it doesn't, take a deep breath, be honest, let go, and ___________________. How do you fill in the blank? Here's how I do it:
1. Drink a cup of tea
2. Take a shower/bath...nice and hot
3. Call a friend
4. Pray
5. Heave-sob, then take a nap
So tell me, how do you do it??
