To each and every over-stressed mother out there, whatever the nature of and numbers in your herd may be. Today I want you to:
- Do something for yourself
- Check one big item off your to-do list
- Cut one other item loose, and be done with it
DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF
I plan to ask Seymour to take Leelo and Mali this afternoon while I watch Singin' in the Rain with Iz. I will not feel guilty, because spending Sunday afternoons watching musicals with my family is a parenting dream that doesn't usually get to come true. Leelo dislikes musicals and needs constant supervision, and the only tube-viewing Mali and I agree on is Kim Possible. Lazy Sunday afternoon movie-watching does not happen, and Iz's musicals education is years behind where it should be. (Note: Must remember to buy kettle corn.)
If you don't have the resources to do anything for yourself, be creative. Do whatever it takes to get some time for yourself. Tell -- or imply to -- your partner that you're constipated or otherwise bowel-compromised, and take off to the bathroom for thirty minutes with a good book. In the middle of the day. Whatever it takes.
If you don't have a partner, then today is the day you should explore community and online opportunities for connecting with other parents. Find out if there is a local parenting or mother's group. Browse Yahoo! groups for organizations that appeal to you. This can be a real first step towards making friends who will get you, who will support you, and whom you can support in return.
CHECK ONE BIG THING OFF YOUR TO-DO LIST
I am going to a 9 AM yoga class today. And I will continue to attend. Neglecting my physical health is idiotic. I need to be healthier and stronger in the future, as Leelo will only get bigger and stronger.
If you're like me, your to-do list is probably yards long and possibly too overwhelming to write down. For today, pick one important task that you can finish or make significant progress on before you go to sleep. Then maybe tomorrow you can tackle another. And so on and so on. Sometimes, seeing that you can complete that first task is the catalyst you need.
CUT ONE OTHER ITEM LOOSE, AND BE DONE WITH IT
For some reason, I was asked to be on a grant committee at Iz's school. It's been months since that request, and the committee is finally starting to materialize. However, I now realize that I am overcommitted. Tomorrow I will write to the grant committee and bow out. I will be polite, but frank, will apologize briefly, and will not look back.
Please, for today: figure out what you just shouldn't keep doing, holding onto, or promising. End it. Move on. If anyone tries to make you feel guilty, ignore them.
And have a happy Mother's Day.
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