Easier said than done, no?

I readily agree that a mother’s work is never done.  We rush through the day taking care of the house and pets.  We extend ourselves to the schools, communities and sometimes other careers (for motherhood is its own career).  At the end of the day, once the dishwasher and washing machine are going and the last pair of socks are matched (or not), we drop exhausted onto the bed or couch, whichever is most convenient, not necessarily most desired.  We wonder why our patience falters.

“We can’t love others unless we first love ourselves.”  How can we keep giving genuinely if we let our own generosity well run dry?  We have to give ourselves a break, nourish ourselves and set an example of loving behavior — toward ourselves.  It’s easy, at certain times of the month in particular, to indulge in too many cookies (thanks to the Girl Scouts), get too tired, go too fast and spin our wheels unproductively.  Whereas, if we pause to exercise, write, organize, make a collage — do something! — at least we know we’ve done something revitalizing.

It all goes back to prioritizing.  Is how good I feel when doing something important enough to make time for me?  Is having patience enough to go slowly with the children worth taking a few moments of silence each day?  Yes.  Is overextending myself so that I spend more time away from my family than with them worth it?  This is especially hard when our involvements fall into such good causes.  It’s time for me to evaluate and prioritize my running list.  Each woman’s (and man’s) list will be different, as unique as we are.  It doesn’t matter what our list looks like or how it reads to others.  It does matter how it makes you feel and how it reflects and best encourages your natural rhythm and beauty.  Don’t we all feel better when we have at least some of our ducks in a row?

photo by pikaluk