This weekend my wife is on a girl’s trip to Las Vegas. Her school district is on break, so she went with a friend and colleague from her school for a weekend trip away. It was a pretty basic trip. Aside from the hotel and the flight, they didn’t plan much, and were looking forward to being away from everything for a few days.
My wife felt bad about “taking some time off.” She is a wonderful person, an amazing wife, and a great mother. And, she felt guilty about taking the time to herself, though she needn’t feel that way.
Of course, we all need to take some time off. We can never be our best if we are constantly “on.” So, it adds tremendous value to all that we do if we give ourselves a break now and again, and are willing to enjoy ourselves when the opportunity presents itself.
We need to encourage those we serve, whether it be through personal or professional relationships, to take some time for just themselves, and to help them realize that no one will think any less of them for taking a break, and making it, if only for a small moment, about only them. After all, we’re likely to better see the importance of caring for others if we provide even a small bit of time to truly care for ourselves.