Clearer sight

I woke up this morning with a sense of freedom flowing through my veins. I was free of my doctor-imposed house arrest of seven days. I could go out for a walk or even something as mundane as getting the right groceries. After a week of recovering from laser eye surgery, it was a dream to just be free to read, watch TV or more importantly, step out.
I tried to figure out why I felt the frustration of not being able to do my usual chores so much. They were not of earth-shattering importance but they did bother me so. Not being allowed to enter the kitchen, I was prevented from having one absolutely perfect cup of tea (the way I and only I can make it!) or having anything worthwhile to eat. Eating is not paramount and anyone who sees me can testify to my disinterest in it. But while I am not a foodie, I do like to eat only food that has a perfect balance of flavours. SO I discovered I missed my own cooking. I could have cheerfully not minded any of that had I not also been banned from reading and writing (but that was only for three days) and so I realizes how many hours of the day were left for me to fill now that I could not do what I usually do.
I felt really bad at not having a job I could go to with colleagues to chat with around the water-cooler. I also felt bad at not having a friend close by who could come and chat with me over tea. I missed reading to the children and was upset by the fact that they seemed perfect content with it! I knew that I had to be careful with my newly minted eyes but that didn’t stop me from being bored out of my mind.
So I fell back on yoga to improve my lower back and in general uplift my spirits. I took long oil baths to rejuvenate my skin. I cleaned out cupboards and gave away old clothes. I thought about how famous my future book would make me and envisioned myself sitting opposite Oprah and telling her why exactly I wrote “The Book”. And I listened to music. Not listened to it with half an ear as I normally do when I put it as a background to writing or surfing the web. I actually listened with all my senses and it soothed my mind wonderfully. I could hear every nuance and felt myself transported. It is surprising how much one fails to notice when one is frantically cramming the day with multitasking in order to prove to ourselves how extraordinarily efficient we are.
At the end of the week, I find myself rested and happy to resume my routine which was formerly very tedious for me. I find myself admiring the leaves on the trees and the blades of grass that my new vision has made more beautiful. I find myself being gentler with the kids and smiling away some of their naughtiness instead of getting upset. A week of looking inwards and finding a novel way to keep myself at peace was a gift that was totally unexpected when I went in to get myself clearer vision.