Indulge Me?

Usually when I say "indulge me" it means I hope you will read my opinion on something that might be a little bit outside of the box. But today I'm actually discussing why women need to indulge themselves every so often. Why? Because we tend to (on the whole) put ourselves last as we serve those around us (husband, children, extended family, neighbors, parent groups at school, church family, etc.).

So, if we don't recharge our batteries every so often, we will be no good to anyone else. It is the same concept as when they tell us on the airplane in case of an emergency to put the oxygen mask on ourselves before we assist others.

Three times a year I host 3 larger ladies events for our church. One is a Mother-Daughter Tea, another is a Friendship Tea with special pampering, and the third is a Spa Retreat with seminars and spa treatments. Total pampering! Why? Not because we deserve it because, as Christians I don't see that we are "good enough" to deserve anything-we have no rights, and are just blessed because of Jesus in our lives. But we do NEED to be pampered. And I'm all about filling needs.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a Spa/Beauty school in Cincinnati with a friend and had a spa manicure. Totally different than my home manicures. I received a hot stone massage of the hands and arms and a variety of other spa treats for the hands. For $17 (and no tips allowed) I felt like queen for the day.

Today I went to a tea room with some friends to celebrate our December birthdays. The 45-minute drive to the tea room was a nice time to escape into my thoughts and enjoy the radio. The meal was nice, but having someone else serve me was even nicer! I tend to overdo it during the holiday season, so by setting aside time to be pampered, I'm preserving my sanity, and passing on that stable mental health to those I'm around. Stress relievers at their best!

For those who love to hear about tea rooms, this one is called Country Manor. The owner converted her 2 car garage into the tea room. She cleverly disguised the garage doors and tracks with lattice and wrapped decorative cloth around the garage door openers. She has 4 tables set for 8. The walls are filled with shelves of tea themed gifts. Two tables were playing cards before eating-perhaps cribbage. We had a 10 year old at our table, and she was given a scrunchy, fluffy teddy bear by the owner. The rest of us were given Victorian Style calendars for 2006.

The menu: Butternut Squash Bisque with a dollop of sour cream; chicken/cranberry salad served over a bed of lettuce, with a menu cheese muffin; cranberry scone with variety of 3 spreads; some sort of yellow layer cake with raspberry filling. Deejarling tea was served in a tea pot with tea cozy, served with white and brown sugar cubes.

Sometimes, my pampering time is a bubble bath or curling up with a good book. Other times it is lighting a candle in my favorite scent and listening to good music.

What is your pamper of choice? Indulge. It just might be the best gift you can give those around you. When you are calm and at peace, it has a beneficial effect on others, as well as you.