TRY To Do Some Good Little Thing Just For Yourself

I was saddened to read that Kimberly and her stories about “the child” will be leaving 5MFSN. I totally understand that her To Do list has gotten longer, and more critical, while the time to actually get all those tasks done has gotten shorter. I’ve been there — haven’t we all? Truth is, I’m not so sure I’m not still there.

Yes, I’m also struggling lately with all there is to do. I’m not by any means admonishing Kimberly about dropping blogging. Not at all. In fact, I’ve basically done the same (without outwardly admitting it) for the past 18 months. I’ve blogged here and on my own blog only when either the guilt of my absence gets so big I write something quickly and post half-heartedly OR something so big and important (or funny) happens that I feel compelled to write about it… Unfortunately, it’s often three months post-event when committing it to paper — or screen — and the act of writing it significantly after-the-fact just doesn’t have the same cathartic power for me.

The point I want to drive home — in my own brain more so than in any of yours — is that it is so critical to do something, anything for ourselves… or we might crash or sink or a hundred other words that effectively mean we neglected Mama for the sake of pretty much anything/everything else to the point where we’ve lost our equilibrium. I know that sounds extreme but I think I’m on the precipice — which is a dangerous place to be without equilibrium — and maybe, just maybe, I finally get it.

I was always — and still am — the Mama who would put the oxygen mask on my child first, not on myself, as the plane goes down. Why? Because if the situation is so dire that only one of us is going to survive I’ll be damned if I save myself before I save my child’s life. That said…

Most situations are not life and death! So taking 30-seconds to do something for myself when my child’s life is not in danger is fine! Which brings me to my point:

DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR YOURSELF, SOMETHING JUST FOR YOU… TODAY. Then try to squeeze a little something in for yourself again tomorrow, or every other day, or once a week, or once a month… whenever you can possibly squeeze that little thing in…. do it! I’m not saying (necessarily) that you should go away for a weekend with the girls once a month (though if I had the opportunity just once, I think I’d jump on it at this point.) I’m saying do some little thing that lets you know that you are important! (Also doesn’t hurt to let hubby know that you matter and to model good self-care behavior for your kids.) Take it from someone who hasn’t done this… and is struggling now. It is REALLY important to take care of Mama.

Squeeze a little something in somewhere on the top 10 or 20 tasks on your to-do list. God knows (and I know) it’s not easy but you’re worth it!

More from Maggie at http://walkonthehappyside.wordpress.com.

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