Getting On My Nerves

Listen up, girlfriends!

There are times when one glass of wine isn’t enough and sometimes a second one doesn’t do the trick either.  Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream (a pint, not a spoonful) may begin to make a dent, or the combo of wine + ice cream could turn things around, even if it’s breakfast or especially at breakfast.

Something else more substantial may be in order to truly relax the mind, decompress and replenish the ailing soul.      

Perhaps an afternoon closed off from the world with a good book or a movie or a walk on the beach or a pedicure or shopping or anything else that would feel indulgent on a regular day is fair game when we’re in desperate need of a pick-me-up, when life is truly getting on our nerves; when we are, in no uncertain terms, on EMPTY, having not one morsel left of energy, emotional or otherwise. 

My older brother Denis makes fun of the things I used to say when we were kids. His favorite expression of mine, which always reflected my angst of a particular person or situation, was that he/she/it was “getting on my nerves.”  I applied it liberally and emphatically when I was 4 and 50 years later I’ve learned to shout it out with tremendous gusto. 

Of course saying it to trusted people is what makes it satisfying, and I thank everyone (you know who you are) who has listened to my rants over the years. I’m convinced that, aside from stocking up on our best friends’ favorite ice cream in case they pop over, it’s our responsibility to help our loved ones talk out their woes while we listen, try to understand and not judge and give a nice big hug before we send them back out into the cold, harsh world.    

The fact is that there are times when life stinks, and as women we often put on a happy face even when we’re sad or frustrated, simply because we’re programmed to deliver what everyone expects of us.  Sometimes, however, it’s impossible to keep our mirage of a cool and calm exterior intact. Good news, Ladies!  We don’t have to try so hard...We can let go…We have a choice…We can focus on ourselves…We can have wine at breakfast.  And did you know that ice cream has no calories if you devour the whole pint at one sitting?