The bumper sticker, affixed to the crumpled front end of a blue four-door, read “Temporarily out of order.” As the faded import limped around the corner, I smiled. Not only because I found it funny, and honest, but also because I wished I could slap such a warning on my forehead when I need to alert folks that I’m not at the top of my game.

I’ve been down with a cold for about a week, and I must admit all that couch time has not been good for my self-confidence. Left alone with my nasal spray and greasy hair for hours on end, I find myself distracted by the actions I consider “failures” in my life, not to mention all those “shoulds” left undone. It’s too easy, while watching House Hunters and honking into my handkerchief, to wander backwards into the missed opportunities and neglected chances. What is it about being sick that makes me doubt my abilities and question my accomplishments? Can’t a girl have a fever and still believe in herself?

Last night, I actually caught myself considering the possibility that I might never again be a contributing member to society, my potential snuffed out by the sniffles. Of course, my litany continued, now the Pulitzer folks will really never call, and that shot at Oprah is long gone. Pathetic, I thought as I reached for another honey-flavored lozenge.

What I try to remember in such times is that feelings change and perspectives shift. My personal landscape will look different, maybe even better, from another angle on another night. The emotion that overwhelms me today is not the same one that has the potential to buoy my spirits tomorrow. And I thank God for that.

To the outside world, it may seem as if I am “temporarily out of order.” But from where I sit—on the couch covered with a quilt—I’m simply a middle-aged woman who feels a little sorry for herself but who knows that this too shall pass. So I will rest my body, and try to quiet my soul, trusting that “to everything there is a season.”

Amy Lyles Wilson