Women are far more resilient than men and this is a fact. It is not a statement of feminism or trying to create a tug-of-war argument on which sex is stronger.

Our endurance faculties, pain threshold, multi-tasking abilities are light years ahead of that of men and you only have to take a good look at an average family woman with a household of children and a spouse to understand my analogy.

A man will have a minor headache and he turns into an attention seeking toddler.

When he has a flu, life almost grinds to a halt and the wife or partner automatically has a mental flu along with him.

On the contrary, in a lot of instances, a woman will be feeling down, yet you will see her juggling housework, family, work and the rest of the shebang like a pro.

It does not mean that she doesn’t appreciate nor needs TLC, but she just gets on with it and does the needful, most especially when you still have a young family to tend.

I have had a situation of being in pre-stages of labour and I was still struggling to conclude the cooking that I was doing before going to the hospital meanwhile, my husband was all flustered and palpitating that he practically hustled me out of the kitchen to the hospital where we then had to wait for hours before the main action started.

If I recall, I think I even quarreled with him for not letting me finish my cooking before harassing me to go and sit idle and experience every ounce of pain. I had preferred to stay busy and keep my mind occupied than panting and counting the minutes.

Years back when my children were still toddlers, there was no moment of respite. It was always go, go, go but now, they have learnt how to do quite a number of things themselves, so, just in case mummy is feeling poorly, they help to make me some sandwich and a nice warm cup of beverage to drink and my hubby then helps with the rubbing down and extra pampering. I never hesitate to ask.

Though there are those times that I feel cranky, snapping like a dragon and just want to be left alone, they know well enough to hide their heads while I am breathing fire, but such moments are so few and far between and they hardly last long.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

The Daily Post prompt Take Care

When you’re unwell, do you allow others to take care of you, or do you prefer to soldier on alone? What does it take for you to ask for help?