Weaving in joy and grace for yourself in the day to day.
We often hear of this concept of a “work-life balance”, a noble goal to spend an equal amount of time involved in one’s own interests and relationships as is spent on those within their career. A laughable notion for a mother who’s job never ends, even if she has an additional career she juggles as well. And that’s just it, while a mother’s balance may be out of the question, we can learn to graciously juggle our wide spread responsibilities, interests and relationships; and find joy in doing so.
Surely in different seasons of motherhood, the day to day demands will flex and fluctuate; but the call of a mother is to live in a state of steady and constant self sacrifice. Rather than growing embittered by this reality, let us seek to weave our delights and joys into our daily routines. While your herd of children may now make it unrealistic to indulge in deep conversation with a dear friend over coffee; perhaps the conversation can remain while the scenery changes. Get the kids buckled in the strollers, and take the conversation to the park; grab iced coffee on the way for added joy in liquid form. While prioritizing your marital relationship may look different than it once did, when the distractions were limited and simple dinners were made intimate; you may not have the capacity or ability to leave the kids and head out for date night once a week… but an early bedtime for the kids, takeout dinner and a movie on the couch can have a very similar effect with arguably less effort! While your schedule may not allow for 2 hours at the gym, leisurely reading time, or some days even a shower… sometimes finding time for ourselves means making it a priority, and sometimes that means you will only be able to workout, read, or yes, maybe even shower if you get up before your kids do!
