Is It Legal To Adopt Oneself?

Yeah, it sounded ludicrous to me when I typed it, but hang with me on this one.

There has been a huge upheaval in everyone's life since the first part of March. We thought it would all be over by now, right? And yet, it isn't.

Every time I talk to someone, either individually, or as part of a group discussion, it always centers on how hard it has been to deal with.

Suddenly, we are living (for the most part) in isolation.

Many of us now work from home. That means we are in the house up to 24 hours a day, most days of the week.

When we do venture out, though many places we used to venture may not be legal (or not mandated), we have been instructed to maintain social distancing at all times. So, even if we run into people we know, such simple things as handshakes and hugs are BIG no-no's.

As recently as last week, North Carolina's excuse for a governor, "mandated" that if anyone is in your home that does not live there, then everyone in the house must wear a face mask. I would file that under the heading of "Beyond Ridiculous."

That's beside the point I was aiming for.

We suddenly went from a socialized society to a society expected to hunker down and hide at home.

When you become isolated like that, well, we've all had the ability to read the reports and studies on how detrimental that is physically and mentally.

So, think about it: who else is going to take care of you and see to it you are doing okay? YOU.

So, I ask again: Is it legal to adopt oneself?

It really doesn't matter. It was just a question.

The main point is, we all need to adopt ourselves, become our own primary caregivers, at least for now.

Why?

Glad you asked. Even if you didn't. ;)

Let's look at some of the reasons why we DO need special pampering right now.

For one thing, doesn't pampering make you feel special? It's just a small step from that to becoming more optimistic about things. Optimism helps ward all illness, stress, perhaps even murder if people yank your chain one time too many.

As we encourage ourselves and we find ourselves more optimistic, it may also motivate us to reach out to others and encourage them! Which then turns around and makes us feel even better. Now that is a great cycle to get caught up in!

No one doubts the virus is real. It is simply not nearly as fatal as the normal flu. Either way, when we feel better, more optimistic, it raises our immunity. Raising our immunity will not only help ward off covid, it will ward off colds, flu and other bugs and viruses. Now, that's a good deal. Especially since that treatment is 100% free!

Lest any of you guys out there, for some reason, are feeling left out, get over it! This is NOT aimed at ladies only. If you are living and breathing, this applies to you.

The temperatures may be dropping now that winter is within weeks, but that is no reason to stay locked up when there are walking paths and streets all around us. We should be out walking and breathing fresh air every chance we get.

YES, I am talking to me, too. I am talking to YOU. I am talking to anyone who needs to hear this.

Getting outside in the fresh air, hopefully with blue skies overhead, and moving from one place to another, you WILL feel better. So why wouldn't you want to do it?

If you are like me and suffer from COPD, don't let that stop you. It isn't a roadblock; it's merely a speedbump.

Did you know you can take a child, a friend, or a spouse on a walk and still social distance? Don't believe me? Then, I challenge you to try it and prove me wrong. Boo-yah! Game on!

If it's raining and better to not be outside, have a day spa for yourself at home. I am going to include some links to references at the bottom. You may find some useful tips on doing just that.

If you are not comfortable going to a restaurant, and I promise you I have not set foot in a restaurant since the first week of March, then order food, pick it up curbside or have it delivered and have a special picnic or family dinner.

Maybe take that idea and extend it into a family game night. Don't like that idea? How about a family movie night? If you don't like that idea, reach out to me and I will make you a whole list of activities.

Grab your bike and head out for ride. Doesn't have to be a long ride. Again, the important thing is to get outside.

Go to the beach. Go to the park. Walk down to the end of the driveway and back. Find a tree and walk circles around it. Well, that one may earn you a trip to the psych ward. Hopefully, you get the idea, though.

Now that we have the creative juices flowing, I am going to ask you to do something for me.

Promise me, more importantly, promise yourself, that you are going to adopt yourself and become your own caregiver. In fact, become the best caregiver that ever gave a care.

What do you say? Game on? Yeah, baby; we got this!

And, as promised, just a few links to seek out motivation:

Psssst, guys! There's a link in there just for you.

https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/5-reasons-pamper-yourself

https://stressymummy.com/2019/11/top-5-reasons-why-pampering-yourself-is-important.html

xonecole.com/5-reasons-why-you-should-consistently-and-unapologetically-pamper-yourself/

https://www.thebodify.com/self-care-men-guys-need-pampering/

Just for the record, here's the definition of adoption. I think it verifies that it IS legal to adopt oneself:

the act of accepting, embracing, or starting to use something, as an idea, behavior, characteristic, or principle: (Note 1)