Somewhere between ballgames, work, laundry, community events, concession stand duty, and trying to remember if there’s anything in the freezer for supper… I realized something.
Women are tired. Not “I stayed up too late scrolling Facebook” tired. I mean deeply, constantly, emotionally, physically tired.
And the wild part? Most of us just keep going anyway.
Now, not to say the men in our lives aren’t working hard and carrying a lot too — because they absolutely are — but “woman tired” is a different beast altogether. And there’s an excellent reason I’m targeting women with this column.
And not just because I am one.
May is National Women’s Health Month, and if I’m being honest, that phrase alone made me laugh a little because I don’t know many women who are putting themselves at the top of their own priority list right now.
Most women I know are busy taking care of everybody else first.
- The kids.
- The husband.
- The parents.
- The grandkids.
- The team.
- The coworkers.
- The community.
- The list goes on and on…
And somewhere in the middle of all that, we convince ourselves we’ll “get around” to taking care of ourselves eventually.
After things slow down…
After the season ends…
After this week…
After one more event…
But life has a funny way of never really slowing down. Especially for women.
And maybe that’s part of why women’s health matters more than we sometimes realize.
Because what happens when the engine that keeps all the parts of daily life moving slows down… or shuts down?
Because health isn’t just about doctor appointments and step counters.
It’s about rest.
It’s about stress.
It’s about mental health.
It’s about giving ourselves permission to admit when we’re exhausted instead of pretending we’re fine because everybody else needs us to be.
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And if you’ve spent any time around women lately — ballpark moms, grandmas, special ladies… I see you — then you know we’re carrying a lot.
We’re the schedule keepers.
The snack bringers.
The laundry folders.
The ride coordinators.
The emotional support system.
Half the time we’re running an entire small business out of the front seat of an SUV with a sports bag in the back and Uncrustable crumbs everywhere.
And we do it because we love our people. Fiercely.
But somewhere along the way, many women learned that taking care of ourselves somehow became optional. Like rest had to be earned. Like slowing down meant we weren’t doing enough.
And I don’t know who needs to hear this this week, but here it is anyway:
You matter too. Full stop.
Not just for what you do for everybody else. Not just for how much you carry. Not just for how dependable you are. You matter because you’re a person — not just the role you play in everybody else’s life.
One of the things sports taught me as an athlete was that your body will eventually tell you what your mind tries to ignore.
You can push through for a while.
Until eventually… you can’t.
And honestly, I think a lot of women are living there right now.
Running on fumes.
Calling it normal.
Smiling through exhaustion because that’s what we’ve always done.
And if I’m being honest, I’m guilty of it too.
So maybe this month is a good reminder for all of us.
Drink the water.
Make the appointment.
Take the walk.
Rest when you need to.
Ask for help when you need to.
And maybe — just maybe — stop feeling guilty for taking care of yourself too.
Because the women who keep showing up for everybody else? They deserve care too.
And that’s how the ball really bounces…Until next week.
Read more from How the Ball Bounces with Bekka in the archives at www.mysaline.com/bounces.
About the author: Bekka Wilkerson is a lifelong lover of all things sports. Raised in a super athletic household it was no surprise when she too began to love sports at a young age. It seems like from the time she could walk she had a softball bat in her hands, but her true athletic passion came from all things Basketball. That love served her well as a Bryant High School Lady Hornet and ultimately earned her a full scholarship to play at the University of Central Arkansas – among many other adventures.
These days Bekka can be found running around Saline County with her husband, Speedy, or chasing one of her grandsons. She is also the Executive Director of The EMpact One Foundation, a Saline County Nonprofit Organization that helps young people stay connected to extracurricular activities through tuition assistance and equipment provisions.
Reach out to Bekka with questions and/or ideas about things you want to see in this column at [email protected] and learn more about The EMpact One Foundation at www.empactone.org.
