I always say: Work is where you get your money from. It is not what you live for. It puts bread on the table. That is what is is. Somehow for awhile, I forgot all these. For some months now (probably even years), my work was taking over my life and my family life.

I thought that putting up some pictures on my blog was relaxation enough. Therapeutic as it is, it was not enough. Some weeks ago, it became almost impossible for me to sleep because of all the problems we had with suppliers and late delivery. Physically and mentally, these drained me. It reached to the point where I was sleeping 3 to 4 hours a day. Like any machine without maintainace, it breaks down… I did. Sometimes, it is too late until one realizes that everyone has a saturation point.

I vaguely remember how I got to the hospital and I do not remember a few days of my stay. When I finally realized what was going on, I felt guilty I was there. I kept thinking of all the responsibilities I have. My family and my clients and the business. The problem was, I always feel guilty when I relax. When I was at the hospital, I was not allowed to do anything but think of myself. For the first time for a long time, I did. I forgot how lovely it is to just be alone in the sauna sweating, or how reading a good novel makes you run away from reality, or how the jaccuzzi makes your tensed muscles relax, or how a 30 to 40 minutes walk in the woods makes you feel free, and I can go on and on. I used to think that I am an expert when it comes to relaxation.

There is nothing wrong with working hard but every now and then, we need to have a little time for ourselves to be able to have better relationships with our loved ones and friends and to be able to be more effecient with the things that we do.

This is why I have been away for awhile — I took a little time out (the hard way).