Today was the first day in a while that I did all my chores. And I’m ecstatic.
Is it because I like to do chores? No, not really. I do chores because they need to be done. Someone has to do them. And it’s especially important for me to keep my end of the domestic bargain because my partner is not only a bit of a neatnik, but his top love language is acts of service.
So if I don’t do enough chores, he doesn’t just get frustrated; he tends to take it super personally. It hurts his feelings. He has a way of reading way further into it than I do – because acts of service is way down on the love languages list for me (my top is words, predictable from a writer, but hey – I tend to get super upset if I go without compliments from him too long, something that he doesn’t particularly care about when the situation is reversed, and of course I shower him with compliments that don’t matter to him because the universe has a sense of humor).
Anyway, I’ve learned to not mind chores so much. It’s an auto-pilot thing for me. And I find that I often come up with writing ideas when I’m doing chores, as my mind gets bored – so that’s a win-win, I suppose.
But a week and a half ago that all came crashing down. Because I sprained my ankle.
At first it didn’t seem like I big deal. It just felt kind of weird when I’d step down. But over the course of that 24 hours, it started to swell. And swell. And swell.
Before I knew it, it was excruciating. RICE time, kids. (Rest, ice, compression, elevation.)
I spent about a week only getting on my feet to walk to the bathroom and to bed at night — and even that I did with incredible difficulty.
I have been frustrated the entire time. I took for granted how much I tend to move around at default, even on my laziest days when I’m being a couch potato.
It’s incredibly boring to stay in one place all the time. Plus, my laptop started acting up and shutting down randomly in a way that made it impossible to reliably use. Ended up needed a new battery, so I was several days waiting until the new battery got here, Writing slowed to a crawl.
Today was great though. I did all my usual chores, and I even cooked dinner (and meal planned for the next several days).
Honestly, I’m so tired from everything I did today. The reality is that I’m not back to normal. I’m still injured. My ankle still feels strange. I have to rest a lot after I do anything.
I never thought I’d miss doing chores so much.
Anyway, it’s a powerful lesson not to take things — even occasionally unpleasant things — for granted.
I’m looking forward to when I can be fully mobile again. And I’m so grateful for even this partial improvement.