The Myth of the Superheroes

We all know someone in our life that we sometimes think must be superwoman or superman.  You know, that person that does so much it exhausts us to even think about it, that person who will help when you ask, that person who often puts everyone and everything before themselves, that person who takes care of children (maybe even those with special needs), customers at work, elderly parents, volunteer work, and still is there to hear you vent for an hour and give you a hug when you are having a hard time.  We often think these people have it all together and really have control of life, and never need any help.

It’s not always true.

I know.  I’m one of those people.  I get up at 5:30 in the morning so I can get my son to school before starting work, and sit down in the evening at 10:00 after picking up that same son from school, working till 6 or later, getting groceries, making sure everyone has dinner and has lunch and clean clothes for the next day, cleaning, taking care of pets, making sure we have all the necessities for a school projects and home repairs, answering emails, going to baseball games or at least picking the kid up after one, helping my mom or a friend or a family member get something done…It’s at this point I usually eat my own dinner, and try to wind down.  I go to sleep about midnight, get my 5-1/2 hours of sleep and start all over again. 

I’m stressed.  Seriously stressed.  Stressed so much that my blood pressure is staying high even though I take medication for it.  Stressed so much that I broke down in tears at my doctor’s office earlier this week talking about it.  Stressed so much I was prescribed an antidepressant/antianxiety medication to help with my mental health so it doesn’t keep affecting my physical health. 

Stressed so much, and no one even noticed.  When I told my husband, the person who knows me best, that my blood pressure was high due to my stress, he asked me “Why?”  Granted, he works evenings so doesn’t see me much during the week, but honestly that is one of the reasons why - he’s not here to help me with all the things that need to get done, and apparently not here enough to notice I was falling apart.

That person that you know you can always depend on when you need something, who is there to help talk though your problems, who will take your kid to practice, who will volunteer to tackle a problem at work, that person that you wonder how they are doing it all...Take some time to ask them how they are doing.  Don’t just say “Wow, I don’t know how you do it all,” say “Wow, how can I help you?”  Maybe sometimes we are too proud to ask for help, but we still need it, and just the offer can mean a whole lot.

And that, my friends, is why there is wine!