“Calgon, take me away!” Remember that commercial? A woman at home surrounded in chaos, belts out her cries for relief. Suddenly, she’s relaxing in an endless bubble bath in solitude.
How incredible that would be to have relaxation and solitude from just four magical words. Unfortunatley, that isn’t reality. I tried it this morning … nothing happened.
Worries abound. Stress consumes. Deadlines nag. Kids get sick. And solitude evaporates quicker than bath bubbles.
The best bet for getting in that type of relaxation is running a bath in the middle of the night, or locking ourselves in the bathroom when everyone is still awake. Granted, the kids pounding on the door asking what’s for dinner would interrupt the rejuvenation we’re looking for.
My daughter bought me a bathtub pillow last year for Mother’s Day. I regretfully admit I’ve used it only a small handful of times. But my intention would have been to wear it out before the next holiday …
How does a mom replenish?
A few nights ago, my daughter was coughing relentlessly, my husband was snoring, and the dog made noises as he dreamt. Who was awake? Me. I attempted to give my daughter more cough medicine, but she was sound asleep. I rolled my husband over, but it only temporarily helped. The dog … well apparently his dream couldn’t be interrupted either. I desperately needed sleep, but that wasn’t looking too promising.
So I decided to replenish another way … I grabbed a book and my book lamp, and crawled under the covers like a child pretending to go to sleep. I engrossed myself into the storyline and characters and the noises surrounding me faded in the distance. Suddenly I was in
Bubbles didn’t overflow the bed that night, but renewal spilled all over.
If we go on empty too long, our patience and understanding disappear along with the bath bubbles. So let’s get creative moms — revive yourself where you can!
