No More Superwoman

Hi! I am a sixty-one year old woman who has never blogged before in her life. But, over the course of my life time, I have learned a few things and would like to share them with anyone who is interested. The most important thing I have learned is to stop trying to be a "superwoman". I was the woman who had to be the perfect daughter, mother, wife, employee, and grandmother. I had to look perfect, have the perfect house, cook the perfect meal, have the perfect office, and have the perfect yard. I also had returned to school in my late 50's to finally get my degree so of course, I was the perfect student. One day, I was standing in my kitchen looking out my window and thinking about the upcoming new semester. The next thing I knew, I was being wheeled down a corridor on a gurney with a medic begging me to please quit fighting her and trying to get off. I was wheeled into a room and there was my mother and my husband. I couldn't figure out what was going on. People were cutting off my clothes and hooking me up to all kinds of machines. I looked up at my mother and asked her what in the world was going on and if I was having a dream. She looked down and me and told me that none of this was a dream and that I had had a seizure. I was speechless. I looked and my husband was talking to a doctor in the hall. Apparently, I just passed out in the kitchen and had a grand mal seizure in the middle of my kitchen floor. To say I was horrified would be the understatement of the century. I found it totally unacceptable that I would do such a thing. I was completely embarrassed. I have always been so very private. The next few days was a series of tests and questions about my lifestyle and habits. No tests or doctor could really determine what was the cause of the episode. But, the general consensus was stress. I had demanded too much of my brain and my body. My quest for perfection had come with a price. Since my episode, I have had several more seizures, but I am now on medication. The quest for the right dosage is still being sought by my doctor. My advice to the "superwomen" of the world is please do yourselves a favor. Stop seeking perfection in all you do. It comes with a price. It is alright to not be perfect in everything you do. I have had to teach myself to ease up on some things.I have learned to ask for help and delegate. It has been a bit of a personal battle for me. But, in doing so, I have noticed that my family likes to help. I am a happier person and not so tense all of the time. By my being a happier person, my family is happier. It is not an easy task to stop being the perfect achiever, but I was rather NOT be perfect all the time and feel a little more at peace and happy than leave this earth a little sooner than I need to. Remember ladies, superwomen don't always live as long as they might if they slowed down a little. Peace to you all!