teaching two "play" classes complete with inking techniques, gel medium and guesso,
getting the website ready for this year's Reindeer Round up and teaching a mom's club "MNO" card class, including cutting pieces for over 50 cards.
Tired yet? Probably not - because I am sure most of you live the same crazy hectic lifestyle, am I right?
I mean just recently on the Scrap with Shelby Forum, a participant (and friend) commented (paraphrased):
I'm a "stay at home mom" who seems to never be home. Many of the things I do is all good stuff - like yesterday, I signed up to make dessert for the abused women's shelter for today. ...it's like being on one of those little hamster cages. I just want to sit home on the one day I don't need to be somewhere in the AM. ACK!! Help, please! I don't have two minutes to breathe much less time to scrapbook! Thanks & blessings, D.
She also talks about running this errand, and to the grocery store and to the dr and on and on...Does this sound familiar? I bet it does!
As I work, i watch the shows I tape on DVR. Today I was watching the biggest loser from last night. One of the contestants said something to the effect of
"I was so busy taking care of everyone else, I forgot to take care of me. Somewhere, I lost me. "
Wow - what a thought. As wives and moms, we put ourselves last. We stay up late to do the laundry or the bills and get up early with the kids. We do not have out of the home jobs, yet we work 12 - 15 hours a day - without benefits like sick or vacation days.
The thing is, we burn ourselves out, don't we? And what good are we then? When we are so tired we just throw together whatever meal is easiest, when we are too weary to play with our kids, when we just want to fall into bed at night rather than speak to our husbands - the ones who can support us most, and a chance to talk about something other than PBS Sprout characters, styrofoam cup turkeys and hot wheels.
But when there is nothing left of us, there is nothing left to take care of those we love. If we are going to take care of everyone else, then we need to start taking care of ourselves.
So Stop today. Just stop the hamster wheel from turning and ask yourself: What can I do today to stop and recharge? Plan a night out with the girls (I go out the first Thursday of every months to scrapbook with other moms - we talk more than work but that's kind of the best part). Go to the gym or go talk a walk. Go on a date with your husband. Go to the mall and don't buy anything for the kids... or scrapbook a page about you - not the kids or family.
Find something though, and re-charge. You will find that it's just that much easier to make that 4:30am feeding, or that next dinner and possibly, just possibly, you will find yourself smiling when its time to race the red hot wheels car against the blue matchbox truck....
2 comments:
Great post! I agree completely. Schedule your ME time on the calendar. It's not an "if you have time" thing. Make it a *defined* block of time. Make it outside of the house if you can. You won't regret it.
I never could understand how Mommy's can work outside of the home either! I love your cake, it is fantastic!!! Would love to have a taste!!! LOL
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