Friday, I took our cats to get spayed and neutered. One of the instructions was to let them sleep inside one night before allowing them to go back outside. We prepped the laundry room, like when they were young kittens, and closed them up for the night.

Fast forward. Two in the morning. My belly wasn’t feeling the greatest, so I got up to sit in the bedroom recliner. After being awake a little while, I heard a scratching under my bed. Now mind you, it’s dark. I peer over the edge of my chair and look at the shadowed floor. I could still hear the noise, but couldn’t find the source.

Just as I switched on the lamp and leaned down toward the floor, one of the cats leaped into my lap out of nowhere. I screamed. The cat ran. David woke up and laughed hysterically and had to find the cat. He brought her back to me and I held her a minute and let her know she was okay. Then I took little Miss Houdini Cat back to the laundry room.

And like the cat jumping into my lap unexpectedly, life has a way of throwing us surprises too, doesn’t it? I feel like I’m planning my days and weeks and then someone else is grabbing the pen and planner and rewriting all my days. So many surprises. Tons of hard, unexpected add-ons.

When I have a few altered days, I can usually overcome those. But as I’ve had lately, a few altered weeks, and then add that to the several altered months prior, and I’m weary. Tired. Foggy. Hard days and weeks make me want to run away and hide after a while.

But as my wise friends and family keep reminding me, maybe it’s time to slow down and rest. Resting is hard when there are so many good things that I could be doing—but I also know I’m no good to anyone if I’m foggy, exhausted, and tired.

If you, like me, are in a season of surprise, my best advice is to step back and give yourself permission to rest. Say no for now. You can say yes again later. Work on self-care and make sure to listen to your body instead of powering through it. And remember, it’s only for a season.