Ever feel as if you don’t have enough time? There are too many things grabbing for your attention. I feel that way right now. Besides my regular stuff I have to do, mowing and yard work has to be done, plus I help our daughter with her home business. But now there is even more. Our daughter purchased a house. So tearing out carpet, painting, and reflooring her house all have to be done, before we can do to much in moving her. Not having my husband home to help makes it harder for out daughter and me.
I am sure you have at times wondered who is having a harder time with incarceration… your loved one or you. I don’t want to minimize what they are going through, I really don’t. But having to do all the things you always did, and then add on all the things they did, one can feel overwhelmed. It seems there just isn’t enough time to get it all done. So what do we do to make it easier?
For me, I have to decide between what is important and what would be nice but can wait. Does the laundry have to all be done right now, or can I space loads out. Can the lawn wait, or do I have to do it now. Are there things that I can take off the list because it is no longer possible, necessary, or wise to do. Some things are like “busy work”. We had that in school. Teachers assigned things for us to do that were more busy work than learning experiences. Maybe we can eliminate some of that. A time saver for me at times is to power cook and freeze meals. Then I am not taking a chunk of day to come up with an idea, gather or shop for ingredients, and cook it.
We all have to decide what is important. But we have to remember that we need time to rest. Taking time to watch our children or grandchildren play a game or preform in a recital may seem like time that could be used otherwise. However, the bonding that being there creates, and the rest for our bodies is something that must be considered. We can’t do everything, so we must choose wisely.
I pray you are able to balance your responsibilities in a positive way.
mary