It's The Little Foxes That Spoil The Vine

I was lying on the bed trying to relax my nerves. Mild thrumming pain reverberated on my temples. It felt like two big hands placing pressure on my head as in compressing an orange fruit, but not strong enough to create cracks on the peel, or leak its juices -- and keeping the tension there.

I massaged my temples while catching my 3-year-old’s little feet thumping on the upstairs floor. His rambunctious chuckles echoed the four walls of our 2-story townhouse rental. I move my gentle kneading fingers to the back of my head, tracing down my nape, then repeat.

Upstairs, in the living area, I could pinpoint where our son is located base on the jollity sounds he produces. His little steps took a quick rest on the edge of the stairs, going down and down, to the direction of the bedroom, where mommy was laying, nursing a headache.

At the foot of the bed, his adorable little face registers a question mark, as if asking, “Mommy, why are you here? It’s not yet bedtime, right?”

“Mommy is owie ow.” (Mommy is not feeling well.) I told him while stroking my temples. In response, he climbed on the bed and curled on my side. When the husband noticed he is left alone upstairs, in our living area, he followed the little boy to the basement.

“Is it painful still?” He asked me while our son sprang up with glee at the sigh of his daddy.

“I will no longer drink coffee.” Was my response.

[photo source]

Note: If you are a coffee lover this is in no way saying, “Coffee is bad for you!” We all metabolize caffeine differently, and unfortunately for me, I have adverse effects.

It all started after my husband bought an espresso machine. He proposed that I try out decaffeinated coffee, coaxing it might do just fine on me. Of course, I was hesitant. The instant ones, those that come in a jar, gave me a grumbling stomach, but I gave decaf a try anyway. Eventually, my tongue started to like it and my stomach didn’t protest. Slowly, it evolved into cravings, hankering after the coffee’s roasted aromatic taste. From there, I level up to non-decaf, two cups a day. It was then the mild headaches emerged, pestering me daily.

I knew it! Caffeine is the culprit, my body is begging for it, addicted. I determined to stop the cups, go cold turkey before it turns worse. There in the bed, unable to do anything, I lay enduring the caffeine withdrawal symptom, nursing my body back to health.

Little Foxes Spoil the Vine

Our bodies are amazing. They signal us when something isn’t going right. So you have to listen, before it becomes a bad habit, normalizing into an outcome that isn’t good, an end-result that is painstakingly tough to get out of.

Not only does this apply to caffeine (for me), but also to other things that started out innocently but have turned out into nasty obsessions or time eating consumptions.

See, it started out with a cup of decaf, which manifested into mild headaches, affecting my whole function, incapacitating me to play and laugh and enjoy the day with my family.

Song of Solomon 2:15 says: It's the little foxes that spoil the vine. Therefore, catch them before they could do damage.

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines,

For our vines have tender grapes. 

~ Solomon 2:15 NKJV

I usually reach out for painkillers when something goes wrong. This time though, I allowed my system to heal itself by drinking lots of water and rest. The next day, I recovered just fine, and my body no longer coveted caffeine. Our little boy is delighted to have mommy around, just as it should be.

The thing is, you’re valuable, your life matters, and you have to take care of you because someone in your sphere of influence is expecting you to be present, so give them your best.

Why allow those little foxes, the small harmful habits to ruin it for you?

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