I am putting down my Super Woman Cape.

I actually put it down many years ago, when I was a single Mom and desperately trying to be everything to everyone. A good employee, a great mom, a good cook, an advocate for things I believed in, a fun person… Finally, I realized that being Super Woman was exhausting and I was burning out.

So, I let go of being GREAT, and replaced it with being as good as I could be. And when I could not be that good, I ordered takeout!

Seems that somewhere along the line, I picked up the Super Woman cape again. Not so much with my kids. They are doing fine, and they don’t need me to be too involved in their lives. I am so proud of them.

More for myself and my mom. I am the child who lives closest to her.  I am 15 minutes away. My brother is 2 hours away and my sister is about 2 ½ hours away. I am always on call for technical help. Mom and Don looked forward to our Friday evening “wine times” together.

I look to myself to write sparkling newsletters that will be of interest to all my readers. I look to myself to find outstanding guests and to guide them through interesting and compelling interviews. I am constantly reading and learning so that I can share more with my audience and so that I get smarter.

I also try to be a stellar girlfriend. I want to be loving and witty. I want to make nice homecooked meals. I want to be fun and energetic when we go out. I want to be compassionate when compassion is needed.

See my cape? Being Super Woman is exhausting.

And my body finally told me to slow down!

After my bout of Covid, I developed bronchitis. I was fighting this. Super Woman is not allowed to be sick. And yet, every day I was lying down for a nap. I could not help it.

Then the mind games started. “What is wrong with you?  Are you losing your motivation? You are being weak! Get up, take a walk, get back to work. There is so much to do… and your mother needs you!”

We can certainly be hard on ourselves, can’t we?

I have decided to lay down my Super Woman cape again. As I learned many years ago, I cannot be good for anyone, if I am not being good to myself.

When was the last time you checked your cape? A little bit of self-care goes a long way