Hey friends!
Can we all just push pause and take a step back?
Try to take an honest look at yourself and your life through the lens of someone watching a sitcom. What do you see? Do you see a stressed out mom? A mom who is annoyed at having her world shaken up a bit? Or do you see a mom who is rolling with the punches? A mom who is finding little snippets of joy along the way?
If I am being completely transparent, some days I really do identify more with the first mom. I go to bed at night with some regrets. Wishing that I never raised my voice or that I nagged my kids less. Wishing that I had played with my kids more and cleaned less. Wishing that I had paid more attention when my child wanted to show me something he/she created instead of being so distracted with things that, in the bigger picture, don’t matter.
But, more days than not, I am thankfully able to identify more with the second mom. I go to bed knowing that, although I will never do it perfectly, I am trying to make the best of every situation. I put others before myself. I paid attention, laughed, and enjoyed the little moments that can be found throughout the day. I cherished the gift of staying home with my children.
Now, please hear my heart…I am NOT trying to lay the blanket of shame across you if you only identify with the first mama…I’ve been there. I am not undermining the real feelings of isolation, heaviness, financial pressures…those things are real and prevalent during this time. Rather, I simply want to encourage you to have a “glass half-full” mentality during this time…make a mind-shift.
We are living in an unprecedented time.
Instead of viewing this forced time at home as an inconvenience, I want to encourage you to look at it as a gift.
Have you ever received a gift and thought that it was something that you didn’t even know existed, much less how and when you would use it. But then, you spent some time with that unwanted gift just to discover that it actually was something nice to have around?
Can I encourage you to view this “stay-at-home” time in the same way?
Ask yourself:
What “gifts” can be discovered during this time?
How can I use this time to be a blessing to myself and to others?
With all of this forced time at home, what can I accomplish?
I promise you that their are hidden gems of opportunity to be found during this time…just step back for a second and you will see them!
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