Recuperate Gently

If you’ve ever had an illness that has kept you confined to your bed for over a month, you’ll understand the sheer frustration you experience. You want to get well, you want to move about, you want to get back to normal – quickly. But that’s the worst thing to do – you might have a relapse. The best way to do it is to allow yourself to recuperate gently.

Recuperate Gently

When I was 15, I had an unknown illness that lasted for over 45 days. Fever, weakness, vomiting, fainting. The doctors conducted test after test, but came to no positive conclusion. Whenever, my fever went up, I would faint. Often, my poor Mum, would have to half carry me to the washroom. The weakness and helplessness made me feel frustrated. I was too weak to even read a book. There were a few days when I begged to die. Yes, I do know people go through much worse, but at the time that’s how I felt.

In simple words, I was in a hurry to recover. To back to college. To get back to normal.

I had visitors. Family. Friends. Even the nuns from my college. They came to pray. One of them realized how I felt and very wisely said, “ When you feel upset, just sit on the bed, and look outside the window at that huge tree. And just relax.” I realize now that she was teaching me to meditate, to rest within myself – to allow myself to focus on Nature and the quiet and to recuperate gently.

Recuperate = Recover / Regain / Restore

We tend to use the word recuperate when talking about recovering our physical health, but it can extend to other things too. Heart break. Stress. Being let down by someone close to us. For me, I had to learn to forgive myself for the wrong choices I had made. Recovery takes time and we must be gentle with ourselves.

Make Time To Recuperate Regularly

For some of us, as soon as we awake, our minds start to rush about planning the day and worse, worrying about it. Will I be able to make that appointment on time? How will my child do in her test today? Did I remember to buy enough bread? On and on it goes.

Stress takes over our life. Our minds try to cope with it. Our bodies barely make it. We need to stay focused on the present and not worry about things that are beyond our control.

I love this mantra that I read recently : “Don’t go in your mind where your body is not.” It reminded me of the advice from the nun. To stop and meditate. Not to let my mind run. To be present where I am.

If only we would all take at least a few hours every week to recuperate gently. To heal ourselves from the stress, the madness of day to day life. Even better, if we’d spend a few minutes every day just resting, breathing deeply and thinking good thoughts.

Just for today, my thoughts will be on those who love me
Just for today, my thoughts are on my recovery
Just for today, my thoughts are on my blessings
Just for today, my thoughts are on one thing I’m grateful for.

Maria Shriver

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