Any more, I feel like my life never stops. As a wife and mother of three, I feel like I go from one activity to another. Although I wouldn't want it any other way, I do get tired and worn out from time to time. Each day starts with planning and breakfast, and it usually includes housework, homework, writing, errands, changing diapers, answering questions, making phone calls, answering email, cleaning up messes, running the children to their special activities, offering support to a physically or emotionally hurt child, making dinner, planning for the next day, and etc. Of course, it also includes lunch and dinner, because no one wants me to skip a meal.
Does this sound familiar? For most parents, this is exactly what they go through. Some parents have full-time jobs and care for their families. Even singles have busy lives that never seem to quit. Every day is a new adventure, and, in our ever changing technological world, we feel that stopping will put us too far behind. Families are also feeling pulled in different directions. Parents have their list of activities, and the kids have their own list of activities. Many times, families see very little of each other through the week, and then they plan special outings away from each other on the weekend.
Families are frustrated and stressed. There was a time that Brenton and I lived separately. He went to work and stayed late, and I would go home after work and take care of our young daughter. This was hard on our relationship, and we got to the point where we needed change. If we didn't change, we were headed for divorce. When we started realizing our problem, we decided to spend our time together by cutting down on our work hours. Many of our outside activities had to go, too. Now, we spend more hours together than apart, even though Brenton goes to work Monday through Friday.
We still live extremely active lives, and we are always on the go. Yet, this time it is primarily done as a family. After school and work, we eat dinner together and on weekends we have special fun together. My children are active and want to continuously get out of the house, but there are times that Brenton and I have to say "no." Although they may be disappointed, most of the time they end up having fun at home and get the rest they need. Of course, that is the whole point of staying home. As parents, we know that our children, as well as us, need time to stop, rest, and spend time as a family. It doesn't mean do nothing, but we have fun quiet time with each other.
There are a lot of activities that we like to do as a family. Some of them are energetic activities that are full of excitement and fun. Other activities are quiet and more relaxing. Whatever activities we choose, it is never dull and always special time for everyone involved. The one thing that we try to do is limit technology at these times. When we watch television or watch a movie, we are not actually engaged with each other. Engaging activities are focused on the family and building relationships. There are families we know that spend all the family time either in front of the television or at the movie theater. These families suffer, because they aren't getting to know each other better.
In a previous paragraph, I mentioned singles, and, although my examples are from my family with two parents, three kids, and a nana, it can apply to any type of family. We live in a world where families are extremely diverse. There are some singles that live with roommates or their parents, and there are single parents and blended families that need to build relationships, too. If we are too busy to build relationships, we could lose the relationships we already have and struggle to develop new relationships.
When we are always busy, we also get worn down and can become sick. There are times when I never have time to stop. This weekend is a great example of getting overly tired. My family and I went to a special event and got home after midnight. The next day, we got to church at 8:30 for music practice. Last night, I helped a friend with schoolwork and my husband, Brenton, with some typing. This morning I got to bed at 1:15 am. At noon, I started to get a headache, so I decided to lie down for an hour. Although the nap did not last long (my children don't like me to nap), it still helped me to feel more rested and ready to do my work.
Tonight, I will get to bed earlier, so I can get up feeling refreshed and ready to get my work done. There was a time when I get upset with myself, because I struggle to get projects completed. Now, I know it is important to give myself a break when I get little sleep. At these times, I get done what I can, but, the rest of the time, I try to get the rest I need.
There is a specific reason this week's blog is short and late. As I said, I spent time with my family, and I also took some time to get rest I needed after the long weekend. The time I spent with my family was priceless, and, now, I can get back to working on my projects.
Challenge for the week:
For this week, I challenge everyone to slow down for at least a day. Take time with family and friends, and take time to rest. Of course, it is important to get work done, but it is just as important to build relationships and get our bodies rejuvenated. The work will be there when we get back.