Power of ME Time

My husband comes home all the time and will talk about who he went to lunch with. Who bought him some Starbucks on a Sunday morning. Who talked about how great of a job he does. And as I am so glad for him and so proud of him, I always think about how great it would be to have a job where you were appreciated. My "clients" after a nice diaper change never look up at me and say, "Wow, thanks for that clean diaper. You do such a good job at that. And by the way, last night when I was crying because I had a bad dream and you rubbed my back while singing me back to sleep, yeah, that meant a lot to me. Thank you." Yes, we all know that being a mom is somewhat of a thankless job, okay not somewhat a TOTAL thankless job. It is, after all, the hardest job on the planet and even though I do love my "job" there is something lacking in my life until recently. It's called ME time.

Recently, I have established some good ME Time. It is on my grocery days. I plan out my menus and only do major shopping twice a month. Usually on pay day, you will find me at the various grocery stores around Beaverton/Hillsboro. But, first I do a little something that makes me smile. I get up early to beat the crowds and head to Starbucks. Because they are on every corner here in the grand metro areas of Portland, there is always one near my grocery stops. I either hit the drive-thru or go in and sit. I sit with my own thoughts. I watch the mom who is trying to keep her little tots entertained in the line while trying to decided which caffeinated beverage will take the edge off. I smile at this sight and say a prayer for her. Then I ignore the entire scene because for that moment of my day, I am alone and my thoughts are begging for some attention. After this breath of fresh air, I proceed with my grande half caf, skinny vanilla latte' in hand to my grocery stop. I leisurely find the items on my list. I pray, I think, I smile, and I walk slowly without having to be creative with entertainment to just get the job done!

As I pull up into my garage and greet my husband and kids. I feel like a better person and a much better mom. It's the power of ME Time! Don't underestimate it.