Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Workin' for a Living

People often ask me how I do it and I just laugh a little. Because I just do. It's a big juggling act. It's having it all but not all at the same time. It's you're teaching this semester and big new prof on campus but the laundry isn't getting done so much and that's irritating. It's having the weekend off from your full time job but having papers or exams to grade. It's finally feeling like you're turning the corner after the struggle of the transfer into the consulting role but missing all but one of the kids' school events....

I love irony...I'm on the school scrapbook committee and had absolutely no event pics of either child to contribute this year.

I'm an all or nothing kind of girl in every sense of the word I guess...

Seriously, it's all about balance...it's about maintaining even the slightest bit of control over the areas that matter and letting yourself decide that some areas matter less and some not at all. It's about not worrying who else does it better or differently or stressing because you can't or don't want to do something the way you've always done it ...cooking it from scratch, etc. Life is too short....

The secret is in the balance and sometimes things tip too far in one direction or the other. As long as you catch it and give yourself permission to take the time to catch up on the things that might have gone awry. Trying to be perfect is a futile and thankless endeavor. We're human....if we take ourselves too seriously we add unnecessary pressure and stress to our lives. And "when momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy"....who wants to live like that.

I like to leave it in God's hands. My sacrifices I offer up to God, working through my frustrations I offer up to God, using my talents to help people I offer up to God, inspiring me to raise my children to be good little Catholic people I request of God, being present in the moment and not dwelling on past disappointment or worries about the future I'm able to do when I leave it up to God.

Dear God, Thank you for the abundant blessings in my life...my wonderful children, my nice home and neighborhood and neighbors, my 10 years working for a great company, the opportunity to teach at Georgetown, the friends who are there when I need to talk or need a word of encouragement, for knowing that my mother loves me even though she can't be here for me the way I want and need her to be, for my godparents who treated me as their own child and love me "just because". For another day and another opportunity to serve you. Thank you Lord.

Amen.

No comments: