Gas is switched off, door is bolted, Gas is switched off, door is bolted, ……… Repeat.
This the story of Sarai and her paranoia for perfection.
Perfection is the state or quality of being perfect. Void of any error. ‘It is Humane to err’, they say.
Sarai wanted to get things right, but the problem was she wanted it right every time. She took pride in her perfection, but she did not know that this was becoming her Pet Paranoia, which she did not want to let go of.
An office runner with an adorable daughter and a dotting husband. Life was beautiful. She made sure it was beautiful. She watered her life and turned it into a flowery garden. People saw her life blooming.
She was an example of a wise and good, wife, mother and daughter. Sarai believed in ‘Work first, then Enjoy’. She would keep the best for the last. You should see the bliss and pride on her face when she sits down after completing her work. There is a sense of fulfillment when you see a pristine clean house, everything set for the next day, all payments ready, new investment options settled. She moved most of her food items from normal to super food list and said to herself, ‘We are good’.
She would not quench a twig without a reason. All smiles and hearts for all her best friends, good friends and nice friends on FB. Words of encouragement and listening ear to her family and extended family, even when eyes are closing and body is dysfunctional for lack of sleep.
Every challenge accepted and completed like a ‘Super Woman’, while everyone just cheered, ‘Sarai you are a miracle’, ‘How do you manage yaa’.
Sarai’s advice to her friends, ‘Just ask yourself how difficult can it be, then no challenge is difficult.’ Her house was filled with, Out of the world gadgets. Guess a House Robot is next on her list. She din’t even want a maid. As a perfectionist, she’d say, ‘I’d trust myself or gadgets, Can’t trust people to do your work, you know’.
Sarai was a loving caring mother and wife, but her folly was perfection. Now her quest for perfection started telling on her health. She was tired all the time, not amount of rest could help her. As if laziness had taken over her, she’d slouch anywhere, her active life was in the dungeons. Finally she started forgetting things. ‘When did I say that’, I cant remember where I kept the keys’.
One night, after finishing her work in the kitchen, she wondered if she had turned off the gas connection and locked the door, she promptly checked and closed the door. Feeling exhausted, she sat on the chair, checked updates, liked some pics on social media. Again, a thought wandered in her mind, she was shocked to realize that she just could not remember if she had locked the door and switched off the gas. She was embarrassed to check again, but she had to. She checked and everything was in order.
The problem just got worse. The sad state is, now before going to bed, Sarai speaks to herself, ‘Gas is switched off, door is bolted, gas is switched off, door is bolted’. This she does till she walks up to her bed, if not, she will have to turn back and check again.
Sarai was humiliated beyond words, what would her husband think if she told him about her forgetfulness. She was wise enough to talk to her doctor about this, who told her that this is called Brain Fog.
A positive Thyroid test hit her like a thunderbolt. The perfection that Sarai was, she did not want to depend on daily pills from now on. Determined to get rid of this condition she started looking for herbal remedies and started implementing it. However, the results are going to take time advised the herbal wellness clinic.
One of the many reasons for Thyroid, is extreme physical and mental stress, coupled with poor food habits. Sarai tried to fit so many things in her schedule. This left her no time to take care of herself. She knew she did this to herself. And one repercussion of Thyroid is Brain Fog.
Brain Fog is a thyroid condition, where the person is unable to concentrate and forgets simple things. Like you walk into a room and wonder, why did I come here. It can be dangerous when you forget something on the stove or Godforbid, forget to pick children from school.
Sarai knew that she has abused her strength and not listened to her body. Not because she could not afford rest, but because she wanted every thing to be dealt by her, everything should pass her hands, everything perfect.
Perfection with machines and digits is the norm of the day, but perfection with people is a strange disease. It affects the mind, body, heart, relations and thereby our life.
Sarai has now learnt to slow down. Humbly she has accepted life as it comes and even importantly she understood that everything need not be perfect.
No one’s perfect, True.