Overdone

Do you overdo it sometimes? What do you overdo? Drinking alcohol, weed, or food? Time in your own imagined life, away from the daily grind? Running, biking, or tennis? Makeup, shopping, or handbags with their own bags? Writing? Gaming?

My physical therapist fears I’ll overdo activities on my newly surgically-repaired ankle. It’s healed but I have zero muscle strength. He’s right about overdoing. Dinner out for my son’s birthday and a short walk didn’t feel like I’d overdone; well, yes, by the end, back in the car I was definitely aware that I had certainly pushed my strength and stability to their limits. It was worth it though.

The planters and border beds are planted with flowers, vines, and spikes now, due to my husband’s hard work. My plan is to get outside everyday, cleaning pine needles out or picking off the blooms that are done. Gardening was my glorious hobby for a few years before I became unable to do much. When my dog and I are outside now, she insists we play frisbee and won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Whether I feel like going down the stairs and walking on the soft lawn, we’re doing it. She’s a blue heeler and she will nip my heels to keep me in line once in a great while, not as much as when she was a young girl. While I’m in the yard, I look around and I see a small piece of yard art that needs to come out from under the deck. I got my lotus frog out this morning. Before I went outside, I felt lousy. After I did it, I felt lousy and tired. I did it.

Emptying the dishwasher, folding laundry, and washing a couple pots in the sink are all things I think I ‘should’ totally be able to do, at least one a day. You can see there are many opportunities for me to overdo. It’s always been my style to overdo when recovering from whatever. So I must be overdone. If you overdo, you’ve overdone, right?

My plan is to continue to do a little something each day, increasing in time and strength as able. Occasional family celebrations are totally a go, even if it kicks my butt. So, do you overdo? So often or so much you get overdone? Most often, the evidence of our excesses is behind closed doors or inside us, shuttered away from view. We are usually much more discreet than the lip lady!