Crash and Burn

What happens when an airplane runs out of fuel in mid-air?

Crash and Burn.

What happens when a hot-air balloon runs out of hot air while floating above a city?

Crash and Burn.

What happens when a 37 year old father of 4 pushes it to the limits right before the holidays?

Crash and Burn.

And that is exactly what happened to me this past Friday on Christmas Eve.

We were in Cincinnati after a whirlwind month of parties, family gatherings, shopping, gift-wrapping, traveling, and sight-seeing. Additionally, work in a school is especially intense just before the holidays-just ask anyone who has ever worked with sugar-filled, Santa craving kids in December! On the way to the mall to get photos of the kids with their cousins I leaned over to Sarah, who was driving, and told her to pull over right away...

The kids got a kick out of watching me claim the corner of the road near the CVS with what used to be the contents of my stomach. But for me I was getting kicked in a slightly different way. I was wiped-out!

Two Christmases ago I crashed and burned on Christmas Day. We were home in Charlottesville and I spent all day in bed with a massive headache and fever.

I remember that the Christmas of 2005 was pretty rough. That was the Christmas during grad school when I was taking a full-load of classes, involved with an urban ministry, working 5 jobs, and trying to help Sarah with the soon to be 3 children (she was 7 months pregnant with Oak).

In my mind I have a Norman Rockwell like picture of what the Christmas/New Year's Holiday should be like, but I have not seen that picture come to life in reality yet. My 21st century picture is less austere...its more intense and energized (which I think is how I like it)! I just need to remember that sleep is important and there is an end to how much intensity my body can handle.