Here’s a question for you. What do you do for yourself?

What do you do to put the rest of life aside in order to do something just for you?

If I answered that question this week I would say I spent hours in guilty pleasure. When my time was up I didn’t want to stop. So I didn’t.

I enjoyed an hour or two of additional guilty pleasure.

So, what was my guilty pleasure? It was putting my to-do list and everything else everything aside and simply spending my day reading on a rainy day.

I must admit I was happy to see the rain because we haven’t had rain for so long that my lawn and flower garden are drying up. The ponds that normally add to our attractive environment are also drying up, and what used to be water is now dry dirt.

Many places across the country are having too much rain. My son-in-law and his wife spent what was supposed to be a few days on a camping trip holed up in a hotel to get away from the heavy rain.

The president of our homeowners association resorted to wearing his Native American costume and doing his rain dance. He says whenever he does his rain dance, it works.

Believe it or not, a day later we finally got rain.

Normally when I get up and see a dark sky instead of sunlight I’m a bit bummed. But this time I was happy.

I didn’t only want dark skies. I wanted an all-day rain.

In addition to giving us much-needed rain, it would give me a gift of staying indoors and reading.

Reading is always nice but it’s especially welcoming when it’s accompanied by the sound of rain.

I don’t normally read during the day. I try to stay disciplined to working during the day and saving my reading time for evenings.

You know that old expression that says “lost in a book.” When I have a good book I can easily lose myself in the story. I’ve been known to stay awake for half the night until I finish a captivating story.

I know it’s pathetic when I feel guilty about reading too long while household chores have to be done. This was a week of doing long-neglected weeding, pruning and fertilizing so I welcomed the rain break.

It made me think of how little I indulge myself. When I do have spare time I find myself thinking I should be exercising or doing something that has a physical benefit.

There are so many things I say I will do when I find the time. That doesn’t make sense. I’m retired. That means I have nothing but time.

I know the roadblock to doing something is in my head.

It’s pathetic when I need a rain day to give myself permission to do what I want, rather than what I should do.

But, oh, the rainy day was simply delicious. I did actually make something delicious when I tried a new soup recipe my husband loved. I made it because he loves soup and being a traditional female, I try to please.

Many women are “pleasers.”

That’s especially true of older women. Many of us seem to be conditioned to think of others, to spend much of our time doing for others.

Maybe it’s a cultural thing, or maybe it has to do with what you saw at home while growing up. At least that’s what I hear from many women.

Maybe it’s also why many of today’s books and articles are now talking about the need for women to put themselves first. Many women have a hard time learning to do that.

If you want to read some interesting thoughts on the subject, Google self-love and self-need.

The bottom line, we are told, is that we need to put ourselves first. Research shows women have better physical and mental health if they learn to put themselves first.

I do acknowledge that some suffer because they never learned to take care of themselves first, while others are insufferable because all they think about is themselves.

It’s a matter of degree, isn’t it?

One interesting essay says that said if you want to give others the best of you, start by getting what’s best for you.

There’s a reason why at the start of any flight airlines caution passengers in case of an emergency put on your oxygen mask before helping others.

I so believe self-care isn’t selfish.

It’s simply putting on your oxygen mask so you can help others.

My rainy day reading is part of taking care of myself.

I have plenty of other things I do to take care of myself. For instance, I’ve had to limit my time watching the news because it pulls me down and makes me feel terrible — and there is nothing I can do about it.

Sometimes my self-care is hanging out with positive friends.

Sometimes it’s taking a nature walk,

And sometimes it’s just enjoying the small pleasures of listening to the sound of rain on the roof.

Email Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.net