Last week I was on a high. We just finished a wonderfully successful Retreat and then headed out on a family trip for spring break that was fun, adventurous, educational, bonding (and exhausting). I kept up with lots of work during all our car time and thought I'd come home ready to roll.
But today everything's crashing in on me.
I came home to a dirty house that's crying to be cleaned, several loads of laundry from the trip, larger-than-expected bills that need to be paid when money is tight, the realization that the May Retreat is coming up more quickly than I'd really anticipated and that Mother's Day (when we plan to put out some exciting new fun stuff on our website that still needs work and when we hope to release the eBook version of our Power of Moms book which still needs more editing) is coming up even more quickly. Then the lovely hotel where we're planning to do our New England Retreat again this fall said they want a contract by tomorrow and there are lots of details to be finalized there. Then I realized I've got a post due for our Deseret News column tomorrow. Then I got an email reminding me that the May Learning Circles article needs to be put up by the end of this week. Then we got several new trainer applications which I LOVE but which requires time. Then we've got some excellent new Board members who need quite a bit of instruction and guidance so they can thankfully take some more stuff off the heaping plateful that April and I are trying to manage. Then there's Isaac's book report that's due on Friday and Eliza's dance recital practices and the Cub Scout pack meeting tomorrow where my Bears are supposed to do a skit at the same time as my dear cousin's baby shower...
Last week I was speaking at a Retreat where we offered great tips and ideas to help moms take care of the person inside the mom and find more joy in motherhood and create more margins in their lives. I'm afraid I'm not doing a great job of practicing what I preach. I didn't quite manage to find time to eat breakfast or lunch today - but I did work out. And I didn't find a lot of joy in motherhood today - but I spent tons of quality time with my family and felt great joy in motherhood on the trip we just finished. And I'm seriously lacking in margins - but how am I supposed to keep from filling up my margins when I always seem to have so darn much to write?
I think I'd better just go to bed.
Or wait, I don't know if I can get in my bed because there are 3 loads of clean laundry on my bed waiting to be folded. Hmmmm....
Holy Cow....I thought my life was crazy!!! You are one amazing woman! You will figure out how to get all of that done and probably more so. I wish I was your neighbor, so I could watch your kids or take them to where they need to be, so you can get all this stuff done more easily...so sorry life is that crazy right now for you, but it will pass...maybe;-) Good luck, and prayers coming your way!
ReplyDeleteLoved this post. It was honest and I am amazed at all that you are juggling. Sending good karma your way and thank you for all that you do!
ReplyDeleteI love that you are keeping it real! Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so much like my life! My neighbor keeps telling me I need to slow down. But - well - maybe this summer? Good Luck! Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteYou can do it! I am feeling you pain, but just know that you can do this! Ask for help where you can and just do your best. Thanks for all you do for us moms out here!
ReplyDeleteBy the way... Loved the retreat!
Hey, at least the 3 loads of laundry on your bed are CLEAN. Things are looking up! Hang in there. Reminds me of that poster with the cat holding on to a rope--you know the one that says something like when you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang in there?
ReplyDeleteI love this post. I hope to one day get to one of your retreats, but besides the fear that I'd have nothing to share and end up sitting alone freaking out about how bad a mom I am compared to everyone else, I also fear I'd drive home on a complete high with all these plans that would crash down around me and make me berate the money and time I spent with no impact at all on improving our family life. So, its sort of "nice" to know someone who is actually running the retreats and has access to the tools still has those days just like many of us! That probably doesn't help YOU that much though!
ReplyDeleteon the laundry - its never ending...I just keep buying new laundry baskets to pile the clean stuff into. and yes, I'm aware that isn't a solution but it beats having to move it each time I want to get into bed!!!
Holy Hannah, Saren -
ReplyDeleteYeah . . . sounds like you're on overload! I find it is most difficult to simplify when ALL the things going on in my life are GOOD things. I guess the tough question is which is BEST? Good luck answering that. That's a tough one for me too. Know there are many waiting in the wings to help. I'm one of them. Let me know where I can be of service.