Work, Home and Family - Some Surprises This Month
One of the things about being a working outside of the home mom, is that life is always busy.
There's schoolwork and work to be taken care of, there are things around the home to be done, there are children and a husband to love, there are church and religious commitments, there are things to do to take care of myself and then there's all the stuff I just plain want to do.
These last few weeks have been extra crazy, sleep has been at a premium, and we've been wrestling with computer issues, car issues, added responsibilities, and a whole bunch of other stuff.
Still, over the last few weeks, as I've felt the unconditional love of God and my husband in ways that I haven't for a long time, I've discovered something:
The important things aren't always what they seem to be.
I'm a product oriented person and I like to know that I'm getting things done. Crossing things off my to-do list makes me happy. Finishing a project puts a smile on my face. Having the housework caught up makes me feel good. Meeting work and school deadlines makes me happy and feel important and productive. Those things and my to-do list tend to be foremost in my mind when it comes to what is 'important'
But as much as I really like getting things done, I've had some surprises this month that reminded me of something:
The truly important things are my relationships with people. Period.
All the deadlines at work and assignments are due really do need to get done. But not at the expense of my relationships.
In the crazy month I've had this last month, I've had some surprises:
* Taking 30 minutes each day to give my husband my undivided and total attention is not only easy to do - it's not a long enough chunk of time.
* Taking time to read an extra book or play one more game with the kids really is worth it, even if it means I loose 15 minutes of time on something else.
* My children really don't care if the Valentine's Day decorations are still up 4 days before Easter (*ahem* yes they are) and they really won't care if the Easter Decorations never get up at all.
* My husband really and truly doesn't even notice the pile of mail that perpetually sits on the table by the door.
* Soup and sandwiches really are acceptable for dinner - even when you have them 4 times a week!
* There really are a lot of really simple and quick dinners other than soup and sandwiches.
* Taking 4 hours a week to exercise does wonders for my physical body and my mood, stress and mental abilities! And yes, no matter how busy we are, I really can squeeze that in!
* I miss my friends when I don't take the time to meet for coffee, or lunch, or have a phone conversation.
Crazy, simple stuff I know.
But sometimes it's good to have the reminder.
What reminders have you had lately about what's really important in your life?
There's schoolwork and work to be taken care of, there are things around the home to be done, there are children and a husband to love, there are church and religious commitments, there are things to do to take care of myself and then there's all the stuff I just plain want to do.
These last few weeks have been extra crazy, sleep has been at a premium, and we've been wrestling with computer issues, car issues, added responsibilities, and a whole bunch of other stuff.
Still, over the last few weeks, as I've felt the unconditional love of God and my husband in ways that I haven't for a long time, I've discovered something:
The important things aren't always what they seem to be.
I'm a product oriented person and I like to know that I'm getting things done. Crossing things off my to-do list makes me happy. Finishing a project puts a smile on my face. Having the housework caught up makes me feel good. Meeting work and school deadlines makes me happy and feel important and productive. Those things and my to-do list tend to be foremost in my mind when it comes to what is 'important'
But as much as I really like getting things done, I've had some surprises this month that reminded me of something:
The truly important things are my relationships with people. Period.
All the deadlines at work and assignments are due really do need to get done. But not at the expense of my relationships.
In the crazy month I've had this last month, I've had some surprises:
* Taking 30 minutes each day to give my husband my undivided and total attention is not only easy to do - it's not a long enough chunk of time.
* Taking time to read an extra book or play one more game with the kids really is worth it, even if it means I loose 15 minutes of time on something else.
* My children really don't care if the Valentine's Day decorations are still up 4 days before Easter (*ahem* yes they are) and they really won't care if the Easter Decorations never get up at all.
* My husband really and truly doesn't even notice the pile of mail that perpetually sits on the table by the door.
* Soup and sandwiches really are acceptable for dinner - even when you have them 4 times a week!
* There really are a lot of really simple and quick dinners other than soup and sandwiches.
* Taking 4 hours a week to exercise does wonders for my physical body and my mood, stress and mental abilities! And yes, no matter how busy we are, I really can squeeze that in!
* I miss my friends when I don't take the time to meet for coffee, or lunch, or have a phone conversation.
Crazy, simple stuff I know.
But sometimes it's good to have the reminder.
What reminders have you had lately about what's really important in your life?
