The Importance of Coffee Dates

As many of you know, Indian Creek Marina was hit with 75 mph wind, which tore the place to pieces. Since then, life has been chaos. I thrive in chaos, but this is different. Between managing the marina, fixing the marina, helping run a boutique and everything in my personal life, I cannot keep up. My mental health is all over the place. I am having extreme highs and lows, which isn’t out of the normal for me but this time it’s actually based off what is happening in my life, not just hormones. Today is my first day off in approximately two weeks. I’d like to say I have been handling this mess of docks really well but truthfully, I am not. I have neglected everything other than fixing the marina. I don’t have the time or patience to deal with managing the store, which has led to me being a real jerk sometimes. I am so physically worn out that I come home and go straight to sleep. Brittnee has been running the boutique solo for the most part & I am so grateful for her patience with me. My house is disgustingly dirty & I have totally neglected my friends because I just don’t have the energy. Basically, everything but repairs to the marina feel like they’re falling apart. My body became so exhausted I ended up in the ER with terrifying chest pains. It literally boiled down to needing rest and anxiety. So, I’ve got a hospital bill that totally could have been avoided by taking better care of myself, but it was an experience that completely opened my eyes.

I don’t really thrive in chaos like I thought. I can handle chaos, but I’m not thriving, I am surviving. That’s no way to live life. Amongst the chaos, I need to remember to take care of myself. Today mom declared the whole crew was taking off work to rest. I am so thankful she did that! I started my day taking Oliver out for a coffee date at Ground in Grace. One on one time with him was SO needed. I missed my boy. I missed getting him ready in the morning, snuggling in bed & sipping coffee together. (No, he doesn’t drink much coffee and today he got a hot chocolate. Shame me if you please.)

The importance of coffee dates is to slow down. Enjoy the moment, ease your stress and take care of yourself. Do your best to add slowing down to your daily routine or you’ll end up like me – in the ER thinking you’re having a heart attack at 23. It can be hard to take a little breather, but it is so incredibly important. The ICM crew has a long road ahead, but I will look at my hospital bracelet every day to remind myself that slowing down is necessary.