Wednesday, November 20, 2013

For My Busy Mom Friends...

I enjoy coffee..... no, I love coffee.  I confess to you that some nights I go to bed with a smile on my face because I know in just a few hours I will wake up and have the pleasure of savoring a cup.  Yep, it is an addiction, my friends, an addiction.  Today, I have thought a lot about why I enjoy coffee so much.  As the weather becomes cooler,  I love the warmth of holding the hot mug in my hands as well as how it warms me from within as I sip it.  I also enjoy the flavors I tend to add to my coffee- while it might not be acceptable to eat an almond joy candy bar for breakfast, it is- in fact- perfectly acceptable to enjoy a cup of joe with almond joy creamer.... or hot chocolate chip cookie creamer, or crème brulee creamer, or cinnamon roll creamer..... I think you get the point.  I also confess that I really do not enjoy mornings and having a slight jolt of caffeine makes the process of getting up and dealing with the onslaught of morning demands easier.

But, there is another reason I love coffee....

I get to sit down when I drink coffee and do nothing.  Nothing.  For those brief moments of sipping my hot beverage I am not answering countless questions, tackling the long "To Do" list that grows daily, or cleaning our home that seems to never want to stay clean.... I get to sit. 

I believe that I am like most moms in our society.  We are so busy and rarely take the time to just sit and rest.  Now, so many of us have to even take our coffee on the go because we can't even stop for those brief moments to savor it.  So, we pick up our coffee through the drive up window and race through our "drive through" lives.... and we rush from one task to another. 

Working moms are constantly trying to balance the demands of work, being an active and involved parent, committed spouse to their husband, and maintaining the home..... plus, making sure meals are on the table and clean clothes are in the closet.  Working moms often struggle with guilt over how much time this all requires when they long to just spend some time with their kids and spouse.  Stay at home moms are constantly pushing themselves for validation- trying to be the "perfect" mom, cook, baker, house cleaner, and parent because that is our job.  So, we look for validation by staying over-committed and trying to maintain a level of perfection within our home that is never fully reached.  The crazy part is that this too comes at the sacrifice of time with the ones we love.

Here is the common thread.... we are tired.  Every... single... one... of ... us.  We constantly question ourselves and our decisions.  We give until our cup is empty.  We kiss "boo-boos" and wipe tears.  We love our kids and hate how fast they are growing.  We skip meals to finish projects and grab take out because we are too exhausted to cook.  We hug.  We cook.  We clean.   And, we are tired.

I don't want to rush through this life.  I want to savor the coffee in my cup and the fleeting moments of joy that life has to offer.  I want to watch a movie from start to finish and play a board game with my kids.  I want to have truly lived this life I have been given.  I think there are many others who know what I am talking about..... but, the question is how?  How do we make this happen?

It means saying one word that we often forget is effective.... "no".  No, to frivolous activities that have no purpose.  No, to having the perfect house with perfectly clean floors- no one eats off them really!  (and even if they do, will it kill them?)  No, to doing it all and having it all.  No, to tasks and jobs we do because we felt pressured to do them.  No, to making the best costume for our child's school program that will only last about 20 minutes.  No, to defining our purpose by the expectations of others.

We also need to say "yes"... yes, to taking time for ourselves.  Yes to take out meals when it is necessary- with no guilt- and yes, to sharing the workload.  Yes, to lowering our expectations of ourselves and realizing it is okay to not live in a Pinterest approved home.  Yes, to taking some time to read scriptures and pray.  Yes, to a long bubble bath or a pedicure.  Saying yes to yourself means you value the person God made you to be.  It means you recognize that you have value and are important to others in your life.

My friends, my fellow moms, today find one thing you love and give yourself permission to enjoy it.  Life will go on and you will be happier, rested and energized.  Value yourself- remembering the precious creation you are in Christ and take the time to rest....

My coffee pot is full and I am ready to share..... Have a blessed day!

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