Finding ways to make my life less complicated is number one on my list these days. First, I am working on decluttering. I am amazed at the amount of STUFF we have accumulated over the 12 years we've lived in our home. Things that I haven't used or looked at in weeks, months, maybe even years - I am getting rid of it. When I can walk into the room and everything is in it's place, it makes me calmer, more in control.
And I am trying to remind myself to do the things that bring me calm and balance no matter what. For me, (at least lately) it's been trying new dishes for my family and friends to eat. I love it. I kick everyone out of the kitchen, put on a favorite Tyler Perry video and go to town. This weekend I made chicken, pork chops, pear and apple cobbler, homemade chicken salad, and a corn dip. I shared some of it with my church family. It is relaxing and it does serve a practical purpose. Working 10 hour days in the summer means I am SO not coming home and cooking from scratch when I get off for the day.
I am also trying to learn to really evaluate the big picture on things. For example, my daughter's ABA therapist gave me a list of things she wanted me to work on with J before we met again. With work, packing for our trip (remember when we go out of town packing for my daughter isn't typical packing), taking the trip, getting up to speed when I returned to work, and on and on - I didn't get to all of it. I was a bit stressed about how I was going to explain why I didn't get it all in. Then I decided, so what happens if I didn't get the chance to get it all done? Will the world end? I just can't do everything all of the time. Once I accepted that and just decided to let her know, hey, with all I have going on we were able to do this, and this but not this, it made me feel a lot better - sorta like a weight had been lifted.
Understanding limits and admitting that there are only so many hours in a day and only so much I can do makes it easier for me to decide that at some point, I have taken care of all that I can and the rest will have to wait until tomorrow, or the next day, or even the next week. It may even mean disappointing someone that wants me to do something for them, but I can't always make the needs of others more important than my own. I can't make their problems mine.
There are times when I still get stressed and as I go through the mental list of all of the things I need to do, I have to remind myself that I can't do 28 hours of work in a 24-hour day. But I am getting better. And along the way, I have found some great recipes I am excited to try. Cobbler anyone?
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