Even on my day off, I answered someone else first.
On my day off, I replied to Older sister’s request first thing in the morning, and then it felt like the whole day had stopped.
Jisu replies right away whenever Older sister asks for something on her day off. In the counseling room, Onyu looks with her at how big a day of “doing nothing” can feel.
On her day off, Jisu gets a message from Older sister asking her to watch her niece or nephew for a little while. She replies right away, then spends the day unable to get up from the sofa. In the counseling room, Onyu suggests writing down on paper the time Jisu calls “a day when I did nothing.” Jisu falls quiet between the moment she answered the request and the moment she couldn’t count the day as a day off for herself.
When you write off the whole day off
When you count the time spent helping and the time spent resting as one, the whole day can look empty.
On your day off, what request brought your day to a halt?
The moment when Jisu couldn’t get up from the sofa even after replying that morning stays with me. I saw how, when the time spent on a favor covers the whole day, the time spent resting can disappear from the count. If you’re going through a similar day, you can tell me about it too. We can look at it together, wherever you’d like to start.
Scenes
- 01 · The Morning the Request Came The Morning the Request Came — On her day off, Jisu is reading on the sofa when she opens a message from Older sister: “Can you watch the kid for a bit today?” Older sister: Can you watch the kid for a bit today?
- 02 · A Quick Reply A Quick Reply — Jisu texts, “Sure, bring them over.” The book lies half-closed on her lap. Jisu: Sure, bring them over.
- 03 · A Morning on Pause A Morning on Pause — Even after her niece or nephew has gone home, Jisu is still sitting on the sofa. Only cold coffee and a closed book remain on the table.
- 04 · A Day on Paper A Day on Paper — In the counseling room, Jisu says, “It was a day when I did nothing.” Onyu points to the blank paper on the table. Jisu: I didn’t do anything that day. Onyu: Before you write off the whole day, how about writing down what you did, one line at a time?
Stories by Onyu
- Onyu
- Even after the meeting, thoughts of my parents stay with me.
- After the meeting, I come back and start figuring out my living expenses.
- Even after a meeting, I come home and have to explain why I need to rest.
- Just before clocking out, the clock reminds me of a request
- Gray hair reflected in the window on a rainy day
- Right before clocking out, I pause before canceling our plans
- Right before quitting time, just thinking about learning makes me check the clock.
- Right before clocking out, I can’t think of what to say to a friend.