I Am Mom, Listen to Me

January 2018

I am Mom. Listen to me do absolutely nothing. That's right. I said it. There are days that I don't want to do anything, and I have had to learn I have that right. As a human. As a woman.

Granted, I still have those weeks where it's hard for me to allow myself the freedom to just let go. As a single mom, I put a lot of pressure on myself. And on the weeks that we have Choir concerts and tennis practice or school projects, when I have to stay late for meetings, the cat and dog are fighting and tearing up my recliner chair, the kids don't seem to be getting along or wanting to help me out ... with anything ... at all, my students won't cooperate and appreciate the vast amount of amazing knowledge I have to pass onto them, and the demands in my life seem greater than normal, I wish upon stars for that great tornado to suck me up and whisk me off to Oz. Of course, since my life is so perfect normally - that kind of drama only happens when it's a full moon, right? Hmph.

Taking life less seriously than I did when I was younger has made raising kids, having a career, teaching others, and living life in general so much more enjoyable. Yes, I still have days where things get overwhelming and I let the crazy in my life take over. But, after one night of restless sleep, a day of distracted thoughts, curbs that seem to leap out of nowhere while I'm driving, and speaking gibberish to myself and perhaps others - things that never happened before being Mom - I remind myself it's fine to do nothing. And I do. Taking a break is good for the soul. The dishes can wait. The essays will eventually be graded. The cat can screech and cry at me for 30 more minutes for his canned food because, gosh darnit - despite what he thinks, he's not starving. He does have a bowl of dry food, after all.

Laundry can wait another few days because there are plenty of things to wear, even if what's left in the dirty clothes hamper is not my favorite. No one is coming over to my house today...or tomorrow...or the next, and so it's okay if my home is a whole lot less than perfect, because as far as I'm concerned, my life is perfectly imperfect just the way it is no matter what is going on. But, the happy in life gets a few deliciously magical bonus sprinkles when I do allow myself those tranquil moments of doing absolutely nothing.

Do you hear that? Me either....