My husband found out yesterday that his co-worker was just confirmed as having H1N1. I immediately went into a tirade of questions: How long has he been sick? What did he touch in the workplace? Was he sick before he left work?
My husband assured me that he has been extra vigilant in keeping his hands clean and not touching his face, long before anyone had a chance of exposure. He hasn’t even been in the same building with this person for three weeks.

But my mind has been in a panic ever since.

Ironically, our family has been sick for a week, because of something I failed to do at church last Sunday. We carefully cleaned our hands and the bench, but I still neglected to protect my family. You see, the little kids in the pew behind us had a mild cough. And my daughter managed to snatch a toy helicopter from them. Normally I’m not concerned; their family is also quite conscientious about keeping things clean, and I know they wouldn’t come to church if they were really sick. It shouldn’t have been a problem, except that my toddler still tends to put things in her mouth.

Wham. The common cold virus at work.

Thank goodness it was just a cold. My daughter had a runny nose for a week, but hasn’t done too badly otherwise. (Would you believe that this is the sickest she has ever been?) I had a little cough and a scratchy throat. My mother ended up in bed for a few days, and my husband got the worst of it. He is still struggling while the rest of us have mostly recovered.

Fear of the swine flu has kept us from going out much this year. Well, there are other reasons, too, and we really prefer being at home, anyway. But it has kept me from attending church as often as I’d like. I really need the spiritual recharge, now more than ever. So why can’t I use my education to overcome the risks, and go get what our family needs most every week?

After a day of my thoughts racing over exposure risks, basic protection procedures, and additional precautions I could take, I finally realized what I hadn’t done.

I hadn’t asked if the co-worker was okay.

Have I uncovered some deep character flaw in myself? No, I don’t think so; normally my first thought is for the person in question, before thinking about how it affects me and my family. But current circumstances have affected my priorities so much that I had forgotten what else was important. I’m thankful that I realized what was happening to my thought processes before it really did change my way of thinking entirely. Of course, my immediate family is most important to me. But I need to be careful not to let problems reduce my circle of concern so much that I begin to fail to recognize the needs of my neighbors, as well.

The economy crisis has definitely blurred the line between need and greed. At the very least it has brought it closer to ourselves; many of us have not prepared and have become more selfish out of necessity, not out of lack of sympathy for our fellow man. Little did I suspect that a pandemic could have much the same effect, and intensify attitudes that have already reduced the amount of selflessness in our society.

I’m glad the warning came to me in time. Preparedness has become even more vitally important to protect our well-being; not only physical, but emotional and spiritual, as well.

I’ll be heading back to church on Sunday, this time more aware of others’ needs in addition to my own.

Update: The co-worker is at home and doing well. Knowing the symptoms to watch for removes most of the danger.

“Appearance, after all, was a reflection of what a person thought of themselves and therefore, by extension, of others. A person crippled by self-loathing or self-doubt reflected those feelings in their appearance. Such visual clues did not inspire confidence in others because, and while not always completely accurate, for the most part they did reflect the inner person — whether or not the person realized it.” – Terry Goodkind, Chainfire

FlyLady recommends that getting dressed and “fixing your hair and face” should be done every morning, no matter how you feel. Many times that can lift your spirits and, in turn, make you physically feel better as well. It really only takes a few minutes, and I’m able to accomplish this while keeping an eye on a very active toddler.  Since all I use is Bare Mineralsit is very fast, looks natural, and actually keeps my skin healthy due to the absorbent nature of the minerals and the added sunscreen protection. It is nice to know that you already look great when the unexpected visitor or emergency errand comes up!

It seems to be a good influence on my daughter, too.  At 18 months old, she brushes her teeth, brushes her hair, and plays with a big fluffy makeup brush as I do these things in the morning.  I hope this excitement for personal hygiene continues as she grows older!

It is good for your health, too.  Obviously, bathing is always good, as is brushing your teeth.  But did you know that flossing your teeth can prevent heart attacks and miscarriages?  Using a loofah or scrub sponge can help your skin absorb the moisture and nutrients it needs to keep it looking great?  Brushing your hair makes it stronger and more lustrous by distributing the natural oils?  I realize that I am getting to the age where adult acne shouldn’t be as much of a problem anymore, but I have noticed a dramatic improvement since I started using the mineral makeup every day.  There are many reasons to be sure you take a little bit of extra time on yourself, especially when you are under the weather.

Taking pride in your appearance also shows a respect for your spouse. Sure, he or she should love you for “who you really are” even when you don’t look your best – but aren’t you really someone who takes pride in themselves, and how you reflect on your family?  Besides, the person I most want to look good for is my husband.  It gives him an extra boost to know that I am willing to take the time even though he is the only one to see me that day.

I hope I have encouraged you to set this worthy goal of developing this morning ritual for yourself!

I actually do this every month, with the dentist every four and doctor every six; I was lucky in that they all happened on the same day this week.

So this was my “Day of Beauty”:

Chiropractor – ok, shirt gets a bit rumpled, no big deal.

Doctor – quick checkup, blood tests, a little blood on my sleeve because I refuse to wear band-aids, okay, still not a big deal.

Dentist – to get my teeth cleaned. By the time she’s done, of course, all of the makeup on the bottom half of my face is gone…

Pedicure – ahh, warm water, leg massage… but she’s torture on my toes… eek the bottom of my pants got wet, and now I’m wearing funky flip-flops (in the middle of winter) so my toenail polish doesn’t smear. It is worth it for healthy nails for weeks, but there is always one toe somewhere that is sore for a day or two. Add a limp for the rest of the day…

Eyebrows waxed – yes, I’m Italian, the champions of the unibrow. Any makeup the dentist/hygienist might have missed is now gone, plus my forehead and eyes are bright red.

Haircut – always the same hairdresser, the only one who will cut my hair short enough for the style I like without having to revisit every three weeks. She’s great at cutting, not so good at the styling. So now the top of my shirt is damp, I have tiny itchy hairs stuck all over me, and I somehow have hair like Peg Bundy with a crew cut. Add the fact that my haircolor has been mostly trimmed off, and I’ve aged five years due to all the gray hair showing.

Now, at home, to color my hair – lets top off this “Day of Beauty decline” with stinky stuff on my hair and a grocery bag over my head. It is amazing how, as the beauty treatments progress, the uglier I look… but at least I’ll look awesome tomorrow!

Oh wait, tomorrow I have to wear junky clothes to bleach and scrub my bathroom, because after coloring my hair, it looks like Psycho in there…

It is a good thing we love to look good for you guys. Being pretty is ugly work!

I have always tried to follow this principle, making a very determined effort over the past few months. I feel it is helping a lot, and my family has even noted some good changes in my attitude. It has even inspired them to do some similar things! Isn’t it wonderful how good attitudes can be contagious?

You really do determine your own reality. I decided many years ago to stop basing my reality on my level of misery. Why not base it on the good things in my life? Anthony Robbins suggested that, even when you can’t think of a single good thing, you can at least shout, “Hooray, my feet don’t stink today!”

I found this wonderful article by Steve Pavlina: Abuse of Power. He lists some of the more common ways that many of us feed that negative teller: Complaining, Self-Doubt, Cowardice, Arguing, Asking Permission, and Blaming. I know I have personally struggled with Complaining, and since making a concentrated effort to improve, I have noticed my entire outlook has changed for the better! His article is definitely recommended reading.