Tonight, I sat trying to think about what magnificent parenting factoid to blog about, but my mind was just … blank. I got nothing.
Ever had one of those days? For me, it’s usually because of what transpired during the day that my brain becomes mush by the end of the day. Things like, the laundry’s final resting place still remains on the furniture, the to-do list grows longer rather than shorter, dinner didn’t get planned … again, and to top it off the dog gallivants in from the backyard … grimy. Not just a little dirty, but with yuck encrusted fur. The sort of grim that only can be removed from severe soaking and scrubbing.
Then add in our homeschooling day, along with the normal everyday events in the life of a teenager daughter, and you’ve got liveliness that gushes like a room full of two-year-olds. Now don’t get me wrong, I love parenting a teenager. It’s a kick and then some. But there are days where the effort it takes to even out the amount of hormones flying around the house consumes all my creative juices.
So tonight … my mind is blank.
On days like today, I kick back and relax. The dog crashes in the kennel, the family sleeps soundly, while I barricade myself in my little relaxation oasis. Candles flicker, warm fuzzy blankets surround me, soothing music plays, and I lie back in my comfy chair and just breathe while I sip tea infused with all sorts of relaxation herbs. It’s my little taste of heaven.
As the stresses and demands of my day begin to melt, my shoulders relax, my muscles loosen, my eye lids get heavy, and a few yawns squeak out. Slowly, I refuel.
We know the journey of a parent is a wild adventure. Some days our tendency is to fight it. But I’ve found it’s best to just embrace life as it comes and kick back to relax after the day is done. After all, tomorrow we start again.