when life gets in the way

What I really want to do today is stay in my yoga pants and slippers
and write. What I have to get done today is a laundry list of
activities for my children and for Church. I will not get any laundry
done, and it needs to be, I will not get any cleaning done, I think
there is there a floor underneath all that stuff, I will be lucky to
get dinner going in a crockpot and maybe get a shower in. But that's
not what I want to do.

I want to stay home today and continue the fabulous novel I have begun
as a part of writing challenge I accepted in the month of November.
The characters are calling for me to finish their stories. They want
to know how everything ends. And to be honest so do I. This novel has
taken so many turns that were unexpected that even as I sat writing I
would stop and think 'they did what?' It was almost as if my fingers
and brain were disconnected. I am enjoying reading my story as much as
writing it. Hence my disappointment at having to be a part of the real
world today. It is cold out, looks like snow and I have more
obligations that I happily volunteered for. What was I thinking?

I believe that moms today don't take enough time out for themselves.
Or if we do, we do it late at night, trying to fit in all the things
that we 'wanted' to do in a short span of time that eventually cuts
into our sleep. Then the vicious cycle begins of no sleep, grouchy
mom, yells at kids, doesn't get her stuff done, feels under
appreciated, feels selfish, puts kids to bed in evening, grabs glass
of wine, sits down at computer, forgets world and clock and writes,
looks up at clock and realizes if she goes to bed now she will get
exactly five hours of sleep, goes to sleep and then it begins again.
Okay, this may not be the typical scenario. It is my scenario. But if
you just fill in your activities I am sure it is a very similar cycle.
We sacrifice our own needs all day long and then again at night for
our children.

And what does all this sacrifice get us? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The kids don't recognize our sacrifices because well, they are kids.
Our husbands don't recognize our sacrifices because they actually go
to sleep at night. We as moms must simply endure this chaotic time
when our children are small. Our reward will come. Probably in the
form of grandchildren one day and the ability to say things like "huh!
Acts just like you!" to one of our own children. This is when
vindication will occur. But until then I will continue to rise early
and go to sleep late to continue my addiction to the written word. And
my children? Well it's the weekend and that's what t.v. and delivery
pizza are all about!