Now that all three of my children are in full-time school, I decided to go back to work part time. My shopping habits could use a little extra dough, and I'm the type of person who if I don't keep super busy, I will fall into a lazy abyss.
But I quickly found my life slammed into overdrive. My engines rev at 6:30 a.m. and don't cool down until 9:00 at night. And although not unusual in this day and age, to me, it is exhausting ... yet invigorating. That's not to say that I sometimes wonder how the heck I'm going to make it through dinner, or that some evenings I choose to leave the dirty dishes in the sink until the next morning. And I know I'm not the only mom guilty of falling asleep amidst my child's droning, I mean, reading aloud at bedtime. But this is life, and it is short. I want to fill it with as much as I can.
However, the other evening, as I fought to keep my eyes uncrossed, my husband called and asked what dinner plans were. “I don't know," I said. "I'm too tired to even want to think about it." He said no problem, he'd pick something up on the way home. And then I realized, I am missing out on something that I love: cooking.
One of my favorite things to do in the world is cook a meal with the music on, sipping a large glass of wine. This is my thing. Aside from an occasional night out with my girlfriends, cooking is my outlet. And shamefully, I let it slip away in my busy schedule.
So I made a huge effort to make sure I got it back again. It took a little planning ahead on my part, with groceries and timing, but I put it back into my life. And I am so happy for it. A home-cooked meal means so much more than just me enjoying a passion. It is also appreciated by the entire family. A home-cooked meal means we sit at the big table and talk about our day and always have at least one laugh that produces tears. Mom's happy. Family's happy. Who could ask for more?
Stop and think for a moment: What is your thing? What do you truly love to do? What brings you peace, joy, satisfaction? And the second, more important question is, are you doing it? If you're not, you are missing out. You are missing out on being you and shining your happy light on those you love. So think about it. And if you need to make a change in your life to accommodate your thing, do it. Life is short and the time is now. Do your thing.
Source: To read more from Pam Toigo, visit her site at www.thepulledtogethermom.com
