Not one bit ashamed to admit I’m…
Spoiled
Prompt: Creature comforts
When I look back on My Life throughout the years, I can see all the places that were hard. The places I struggled and barely had the emotional, spiritual, or physical strength to exhale. The life I’m living today bears very little resemblance to the one I had even a decade ago.
Because somewhere along the line, I started adding my name to the list of Humans I was caring for. My list of creature comforts has only grown over the years.
Some of the decisions I made along the way to add self-care and joy to My Life are as follows:
I vowed never to sleep on the ground again. When I was younger, I camped — a lot. In a tent, with small children, and as an empty-nester. It never got better. I vowed that whenever I was going on vacation someplace roughing it would entail a hotel without room service.
I began scheduling regular massages. Every month. My arthritic neck, especially, enjoys those sessions. But truthfully, the rest of my body has come to rely on them for relief of All. The. Things.
I stopped drinking bad coffee and cheap booze. Life is too short to consume either of those beverages. I’d also like to add here that mediocre sex got axed as well. For the same reason — life is too damn short to compromise on coffee, booze, or sex.
I set my thermostat at a comfortable temperature. And my post-menopausal body lets me know what that temperature is from day to day. Most of the time in the winter I can cruise along around 67–68 degrees. But some mornings call for a fire in the fireplace to take off the chill. In the summer running the AC is not an option. My asthma requires that my home be reasonably cool.
I got a new car. My new-to-me 2021 Prius has all the bells and whistles. Not just heated seats, but a heated steering wheel! She seamlessly connects to my iPhone and even has the ability to hear and reply to texts hands-free. She is amazing!
About 28 years ago, I moved to North Carolina. The home we bought here had a garden tub. I had never had a garden tub before but let me tell you — I’m not sure how I survived all those years without one! When I moved into my current townhome, a garden tub for long hot soaks at the end of my shift was mandatory.
After I had elbow surgery a number of years ago, opening jars became problematic. Most days, I could manage just fine — but now and then I’d have a need-a-man-moment where more upper body strength was required. My son-in-law once drove from his home to mine (about 30 minutes) just to open a two-liter bottle of ginger ale for me when I had the flu. Last year, I ordered a set of jar and bottle openers that help give even the weak among us extra leverage to get stuff opened. It was probably the best $12 I’ve spent in a long time.
But I have to say, the greatest creature comfort I found since I retired was simply TIME. I have time to take care of myself, be kind to myself, and enjoy myself that simply wasn’t there when I worked 40+ hours a week. Indulging in all my hobbies, rediscovering my love of swimming, doing yoga every day, eating healthier, drinking more water, and sleeping better — they seem like simple life hacks for happiness and health. But when I worked, I never had the time to enjoy the most basic of creature comforts — self-care.
These days, I love My Life. With every cell of my body, I lean into the comfort and peace of my surroundings. I am always open to new gizmos and inventions to make life better, but I have found the best creature comforts are simply gifts we give ourselves when we put our own names on the list of the Humans we love.
Namaste.