Overwhelm Land

I found myself in “overwhelm land” a few weekends ago. Actually, it was the Saturday evening before the 4th. I don’t think men visit “overwhelm land” often but we women usually know it well. I hate being there so I work hard to maintain balance. But even in the most balanced of lives a trip to “overwhelm land” once in awhile is inevitable.
“Overwhelm land” is that place in our minds when suddenly the responsibilities we have all come crashing down at once and seem completely undoable! It doesn’t matter that we’ve been doing them right along. Something, usually something small, gets added and like the proverbial straw our camel’s back gets broken. Once that happens, there is nothing to be done but let overwhelm and its accompanying feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and then anger wash over you. To maintain some kind of damage control, I try to be by myself during this time.
Logical thinking does not work your way out of it. Even when it’s me doing the thinking! I can’t talk myself out of it. My husband can’t talk me out of it. I’ve learned that I just have to feel that way until I don’t feel that way anymore. Since it most often occurs when I am tired, I put myself to bed. I cry and mutter and mentally yell. If I’m lucky, I’ll go to sleep and it with be all over when I wake up.
Now, if you are a man reading this, let me tell you a secret that I shared with my husband when we first were married. If your woman is in that highly illogical, highly emotional place called “overwhelm land” DON”T try to talk her through it- that doesn’t work. She is not really thinking at the moment. She is feeling! The best thing you can do is hold her and tell her everything will be alright as if she were a small child with a boo boo. Do this lovingly, not condescendingly! Let her words just spill out if she wants to talk- don’t answer or fix or comment in any way other than to use soothing words or sounds. If you can not do this, than do NOTHING!! Leave her alone and she’ll get over it quicker!
For instance, my recent trip to “overwhelm land” was caused by marshmallows! What a stupid thing, right? Marshmallows! That week had seen me coping with 2 yappy dogs, Devil Cat, my almost 13 year old’s constant arguments, killing/ gutting chickens, a financial disaster and a funeral. I handled all that like a trooper. But finding out that the marshmallows I had put aside for 4th of July s’mores were missing had me ready to line up the whole household and shoot them! I was furious! Then the whole week came crashing down.
I told everyone to pretend I was dead and put myself to bed at 6pm. In my room, I ranted and raved. I even complained to God- BIG mistake! When I woke up the next morning, I opened my door and stepped on to a sopping wet carpet! Our cold water pipe had broken during the night, we were flooded. We went without running water for two days while we fixed that pipe and several others.
Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor? I sure got the message and snapped out of it real quick! That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?