I recently read a great essay on how some children are "dandelions" and can bloom anywhere, under any circumstances. Other children are "orchids" and need near-perfect conditions to survive, let alone thrive. I think this same analogy can also apply to adults.
On the dandelion-to-orchid scale, I lean decidedly orchid. I need eight hours of sleep most nights or I feel crazy. I have to eat a balanced diet or I get nauseous. I have a very difficult time tolerating almost any amount of alcohol. For managing anxiety and depression, I seem to require multiple medications, neither of which is a first-line defense. The few times I have broken a bone or had a problem with my foot, it has taken much longer than average to heal.
Sometimes being an orchid has me convinced that I am high maintenance. Why can't I just suck it up and get by on less sleep? Most people enjoy drinking - why does doing so almost always make me feel off? Why does my body take so long to heal? Is this all some kind of additional psychological problem that I have?!
But I don't think anyone would want to eradicate orchids, despite their high needs. And sometimes, the struggle to grow a flower makes it even sweeter when it does bloom. So I am trying to remember that, despite my seemingly high-maintenance body, I am worth it. And so are you.
No comments:
Post a Comment