Well, it’s almost the end of February! And I’m looking at the weather forecast with bated breath just hoping that these “caged” boys will be able to go outside for longer than 20 minutes before they NEED hot chocolate (or vanilla steamers for the non-chocolate lover), and I have to find 28 various locations around the house to dry wet coats, hats, mittens, scarves, and sometimes even snow pants because all of it must be dry by the morning when we go to the bus stop or preschool drop off or (so help me) it snows again and we have to play for 20 more minutes the next day.
Ha! SO true. Why is it that it takes just as much time to get them dressed for snow play as it does for them to actually play in the snow? And yet, the layers peel off in seconds flat as soon as they’re inside!
I wish my boys would just GO outside!! We’ve reached that point in the winter where they have resigned to hibernating indoors, and we are ALL going stir crazy.
And isn’t the noise inside deafening? I’m not kidding, I literally hold my ears sometimes when the boys are finding ways to expend their energy indoors (wrestling, racing around the dining room table, trying to jump off furniture into a sideways tent’s window openings ?).
Ok, well that makes me feel a little better. I’ve been wondering if it’s typical for toddlers to YELL every response? I keep telling one of ours, “I’m right here, you don’t need to shout,” to which he usually responds in a whisper. Lol, we’re still working on our “inside voice.”
I ALMOST prefer them to use up all the tape in the entire house to make their crazy inventions. The twins used tape and an old school paper cup telephone to make a zipline for their legos… in the middle of their bedroom… and I’m not allowed to touch it… so I just keep tripping on the thing! But at least they are a bit quieter when they’re creating.
Lego Zipline? Impressive! Although I feel your pain about tripping on Legos. Just when I think we have them all picked up, I roll my foot over another miniature piece (ouch!).
Wow, love their creativity! We’ve discovered the joy of fort building, so no blanket in our house right now is safe!
Cabin fever at its finest! For some reason it just feels like this winter has been long. And since the flu has been bad, I’ve avoided going to some of the play places we’d otherwise go to because I just don’t want to risk exposure. And even though at the beginning of winter, I sort of liked hunkering down, I find that now I’m feeling a bit lonely on top of feeling trapped and “deaf!”
I’m with you 100%. We’ve all stayed pretty well-isolated this winter, but our family still had its fair share of sickness, in addition to some good old cabin fever! And though I’m a person who usually likes to recharge with some alone time, I’m biting at the bit to get out and connect with others.
Same for me, and yet it feels like every winter falls into that similar pattern! Why haven’t I learned from last winter?
You know that pattern makes me think about how I close my heart up when I don’t want to risk exposure to anything that might make it sick. Like conflict with friends or feeling misunderstood by others. I just hunker down in my own thoughts, thinking that if I avoid the situation it will go away or maybe never happen to begin with.
I’ve been there (too many times).
But that’s not always true, is it? Don’t doctors say that sickness spreads more quickly because people hunker down? Being stuck inside literally makes you more sick!
? And just when I was thinking we’d rent a nice little bubble to ride out the rest of winter… ?. But seriously, that makes sense! Containing the sickness could definitely make it fester.
So “protecting” my heart by locking it up away from others doesn’t actually help me. It just makes me lonely and a little stir crazy. It’s like I have cabin fever in my soul. Does that happen to either of you?
Yes, too often I’m afraid. I find that when my heart has been wounded, I get into self-preservation mode…It just feels safer than vulnerability. Although it ultimately leaves me feeling more isolated and alone.
Absolutely. I’m definitely a person who holes up my heart when I needs a breather.
I wonder if there is a way to avoid that pattern? I mean, I know that with real weather-related cabin fever, I have the hope of springtime. What is the springtime for my heart? What hope do I have?
I know for me, the first step is to get out of my own head. I have to remind myself that initiating those connections is the first step to overcoming whatever I’m holding in my heart–that God has put those relationships in my life purposefully. And though I may need a little push sometimes, I’m always more fulfilled once I’ve taken that step.
Yes, that.☝ And I find that when I peel back the layers of my heart, God is often faithful to reveal what I’m really hiding from. Once He has exposed that truth in my heart, I experience a renewed freedom to engage with people, messiness and all.
Wow, Girls! That is some real hope! Not only will God help me with those places in my heart that I try to self-protect, but He will help me to rely on Him as I risk reaching out to others in the midst of my seeming isolation. And I bet, as sure as the warmth of spring comes each year, I’ll find the warmth of God in connecting with others too.
Soaking in the Truth
Scripture to Encourage You:
- “And when I wake up, you are still with me.” (Psalm 139:18)
- “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
- “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
- “A friend shows his friendship at all times–it is for adversity tha such a brother is born.” (Proverbs 17:17)
Music to inspire you:
- “I Am” by Nichole Nordeman
Readings and Resources to come alongside of you:
- “The Day God Gave Me More Than I Could Handle” by Mary Alan on To Save a Life
Related Posts on Texting The Truth:
Living Out the Truth
Ideas to try:
- Put a prayer or daily devotional app on your phone, so that you always have one at your fingertips! Starting with some truth from the work helps keep you focused even on days when cabin fever is raging!
- Reach out to a friend when you are feeling cooped up. Even plan a time to connect with a friend everyday.
- When you have had a conflict with a loved one or a friend and think that it’s best just to ignore it, ask God to show you if that’s the best idea or not. It’s possible that the more risky move of addressing the problem will help your heart instead of make it sick!
{These suggestions are ideas from novice moms. Sometimes our life situations need more.
In that case, seeking out professional help is the right call.}