If you are here that means you too are a perfectionist. Welcome. As I write this I am listening to my washer and dryer going, listening to the TV my husband left on from lunch and just a few minutes ago put my tired 3 year old to sleep. He was entirely to tired. It was a long day at preschool. Today is one of those days for me that I feel like I am overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the mountain of laundry that I only do on Mondays. (Is it time to add another day of laundry? Say it isn't so.) Overwhelmed by the house that needs to be cleaned. Floors that need to be scrubbed. Walls that need to be finished painting. (unfinished projects drive me crazy) Dogs that need to be fed. Clothes that need to be ironed for tomorrows day of work. FHE that needs to be planned. Dinner that should be started. A car that needs to be emptied from a trip into town.
What did I choose to do...Blog.
Why?
Because after talking to my mom there is 1 thing that matters. Everyone needs to be alive and feelings INTACT at the end of the day...those feelings and life include mine.
Her exact text to me was "If whatever you want to do at home is going to keep people from dying then do it otherwise let it go"
Profound.
I giggled, but she was spot on.
I fill my days with things that put burdens on myself that take away from having a GOOD day. Thinking that I need to fulfill a certain quota to make it a good day. Feeling productive is a requirement in my brain. When in reality what really matters are the feelings of those around me.
I can finish laundry tomorrow.
Its ok that the pillows on the couch aren't perfect.
The floor being dirty isn't killing anyone.
The dogs do need to be fed.
I can iron later.
We can do FHE tomorrow.
We can have grilled cheese for dinner.
The shoes can stay in the car another day. It wont kill anyone.
As stay at home mothers and wives we need a minute of quiet. We need that outlet that is just ours. A place you can get away and regroup. Whether that "getaway" is a few minutes in the bathtub alone (Not something I can do...but if that is how you relax...then DO IT), a few chapters in a book you really want to read, or a blog you've decided to write that motivates moms....then DO IT. Our families NEED us happy and healthy. You can't be a good mom or a good wife freaking out about laundry. (Mostly I am talking to myself here).
Ask yourself this: Can your emotional plate handle one more thing right now? If not then you are spread entirely to thin and you need to be singing a frozen song right now--"Let it go, Let it go"
For me remembering WHY I wanted to stay at home needed to be a reminder.
I need to just let it happen.
