Spouse… kids… work… pets… meetings… meals… laundry… grocery shopping… activities… friends… hobbies (that are kind of like work)… exercise… cleaning… bills… *repeat*
Is this your life too? This is my life on repeat. Sometimes when I stop and think for a minute, I wonder how I do it. I wonder how WE do it, because I know I’m not alone. I see YOU at swimming lessons trying to finish some work while smiling at your kiddo who is waving from the side of the pool. I see you at the grocery store with three kids, one grabbing a box of cookies, another screaming and a full cart. I see you at work staying late to get stuff done so you don’t have to bring it home, and I see you at preschool pickup exhausted but with a smile on your face. My list is our list.
Imagine each of the things I mentioned as a ball that we keep in the air at all times while we’re awake. On any given day, you might add in an “appointment” ball and a “your car won’t start” ball or “your dog needs a surgery” ball (this was me last week) or dare I even say… a “you are sick” ball because we all know that moms don’t have time for being sick.
It’s exhausting. Just looking at that list is exhausting. Do you ever feel like you have too much going on? My life exhausts me most days and more often than not I can’t keep up with it. I drop a ball frequently. A few weeks ago, I completely missed my girls’ doctor appointments. I wasn’t just late… I didn’t think about them and we didn’t go. I’ve arrived late to work meetings, I’ve missed deadlines, we’ve had cereal for dinner, the dog doesn’t get walked, my laundry basket sits full for long periods of time, and as I write this, my grass is only half-mowed. It’s not hard for me to come up with all of the ways that I seem to come up short or continually “drop the ball”.
I’ve learned something though, in my years as a wife, mom, daughter, sister, teacher and friend. I don’t drop the balls that mean the most to me. I sometime need to pass them to my husband or a family member, but I can’t and won’t drop them. I’m here to tell you that it’s ok to drop the ball (I do all the time), but make sure it’s the right one. If my daughters feel loved because they wanted a hug and kiss before I leave for work, but I’m late to my morning meeting, it’s ok. If I’m spending time with my husband instead of doing laundry, it’s ok. Give yourself a break once in a while when you feel like you’ve fallen short, but try to make the people in your life and yourself, mama, the priority. These things are the fragile, more important “balls”. Feel free to let the dishes sit, don’t feel so bad when you miss an appointment and by all means, serve cereal for dinner, but take care of yourself and the people that matter the most!
