I am one of those moms who loves to be a mom,
yet simultaneously also loves to get a break from being mom!
I am a mom who NEEDS to get breaks from being mom,
sometimes needing it more times than others.
Don't get me wrong, I love to spend time with my jewels. It is just that sometimes the noisyness, intensity, and busyness of raising 7 children can leave me completely drained and on empty.
While at TWU for my undergraduate I completed a minor in Human Services. A couple of the courses we were required to take were on boundaries which included self-care. I honestly thought these courses were quite "fluffy" when I took them as so much of it seemed like common sense to me. However now years later as I look at my professional work, and especially in the last few years of being mom to our jewels, I have come to really how incredibly crucial these ideas and life skills were to not burning out and to being the best school counselor, social worker, and MOM that I could be. These ideas really were ingrained in my head so much so that they are a natural way of how I operate. Because of the type of work I've done for several years had I not applied these principals, I would have burned out years ago. I think I have incredibly boundaries around my work, and I've always made sure to have lots of down time and things in my life that are filling me up.
Well this all applies to my life now as mom of 7 jewels. If I don't have down time where I am no longer required to be mom, I will at the end of the day be no good to our precious jewels. I watch other moms that I know and some of them barely ever get time to either do absolutely nothing or to do something which they enjoy. Some do not get regular time away from their jewels. Perhaps some of them don't need it as much as I do.
I know this can be very tricky with schedules and the demands of life, but for me me time has proven to be incredibly integral to me staying grounded and rooted in who God has designed me to be. It honestly makes me a better person and a better mom!
So for me, I have built in down time where if I want to I don't have to DO anything (quiet time & after the kids go to bed) and I have built in get out on a regular basis time. Thankfully I have a husband who completely understand this in me AND encourages me to take time for me. Today I went for a run ... SWEET! It was my first run not on my treadmill and instead outside in months, since being pregnant. The sun was out and it was a beautiful day, the run and being outside filling me up. Being outside in God's creation always fills me up (as does exercise, I LOVE to either run or walk), I have some favorite screaming of the evidence of G local spots that I like to hit!
Friday I went black friday shopping ... by myself! I know, crazy and why would I do that. Well I'm actually not a huge enjoyer of shopping unless I'm getting great deals which is a really good definition of black friday. And usually on this one day I get all of the kid's Christmas and Birthday presents done for the whole next year=) One of two girlfriends usually go with me, but one was in CA and the other one just couldn't make it work ... I would have to say that even though I was shopping by myself, I had a fantastic day and I got lots of fantastic deals. Okay if truth be told I think everything I bought was a fantastic deal (i.e. $11 MP3 players) ...
Another one of my favorite things to do is to get out with girlfriends and thankfully between several of them I get to do that on a somewhat regular basis. I LOVE girls nights and am always up for them! Carm & Kristy we are due one =)
As an adoptive mom and mom of kiddos with special needs, I even more so need down time and time for me then I did several years ago. This e-mail might sound like I'm being selfish and in some ways I am, but I think it is a healthy selfish and if you aren't doing it I would highly reccommend it!
THANK YOU Sam for letting me getting out on a regular basis!
THANK YOU JESUS for your creation and how it speaks to me of you.
THANK YOU JESUS for exercise!
THANK YOU JESUS for girlfriends!
THANK YOU JESUS for jewel number 7 ... oh how I LOVE being her mom!
Comments