I am a mom.
I am a wife.
I am a daughter.
I am an author.
I am a media reviewer.
I am a Cubmaster.
I am a freelance editor.
I am a virtual book tour coordinator.
I am a visiting teacher.
I am a homeschooler.
I am a professional blogger.
I am a mentor.
The truth?
I don't.
There are days when I barely manage to keep the kids fed. Today, for instance, I didn't shower. I just threw my hair up in a bun and hoped no one saw me. Well, someone did, so that plan didn't work. My dishes are always stacked up, my laundry is always on the living room couch, and my bed is never made. You think I'm exaggerating - well, I'm not. Bed + made = no compute.
The fact is, no one can be everything to everyone at the same time. Some days, I'm a Cubmaster and an editor. Other days, I'm a mentor and a blogger. There's no such thing as being everything all the time, so they have to come and go in shifts. Another fact - sometimes I'm no good at any of it. I have days when I can barely string two sentences together and therefore, shouldn't write. Days when I'm convinced that my children are going to end up in some kind of really expensive therapy. Days when staying in bed probably would have been the best choice. I'm not perfect, I'm not Wonder Woman, I'm not balanced, I'm not organized, and I'm definitely not keeping it all together.
But what I am is determined. And if today didn't go so well, I'll try again tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will keep just one thing together - maybe even two. And the next day, I will try again, and the day after that, and the day after that. It's not about being perfect, or being on top of everything all the time, because those things, I am not. It's about making a decision to never give up and I have made that decision, regardless of all my other faults and failings.
So now you know the truth.
10 comments:
That's it in a nutshell. The simple truth is we can't do all of it perfect all the time. We sacrifice and forgo certain things (like housework) to make room for it all.
Thank goodness it's not like it used to be tho, and men are now just as active parents as moms, or I'd never be able to do it.
Did you hear that sound, Tristi? That was my jaw dropping to the floor. I am in absolute AWE of you.
Thank you! This is just what I needed to hear today.
I have a scout meeting and I'm babysitting three kids today and I am so tantalizingly close to 50,000 words that all I really want to do is write. Thanks for helping me not explode!
Life is just a very big, complex juggling act, isn't it, especially when you're talented at so many things and feel driven to exercise them all. I can relate to that feeling!
And thus you are just like the rest of us.....congratulations!
Yeah, so I've discovered. But you're right. It's about determination and follow through, rather than perfection or wonder-woman abilities.
Even so, I think you're pretty dang together.
Wonderful post Tristi. Thanks for sharing how you (or how you don't, wink, wink) keep it all together. It's good to know we all have our good days and our, well, not-so-good-days.
this is amazing! We do the best we can, and God makes up for the rest! I see you're an author... That's my DREAM! Im finishing my two novels this summer :) Who publishes you? Thanks for inspiring me!!!!
You forgot ninja. ;)
I'm going to put the word "determination" above my computer. What a great post!
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