Just Do It!

It's not just for Nike commercials, but for me at least, it cuts two different ways.

On the one hand, there are a lot of things that I really don't want to do from day to day, but I know I need to.  I could just lie in bed and pretend that no one is depending on me, but unless I'm REALLY sick (and as a mom, that has to include symptoms like throwing up, having fevered hallucinations, etc.), I don't do that.  None of us like everything we have to do.  I love being a mother, but from day-to-day, there are things I don't like about it.  I love being married to Darrell, but there are days I really just don't even want to be nice to him.  I like having friends, but there are days I don't even want to leave my house to see any of them, let alone be nice to them or do something for them.  You get the picture.

I personally have two solutions to this dilemma:  Pray, and then, just do it!  And I'm usually a lot happier for having done it anyway.

On the other hand, there are a lot of things that I want to do "someday" or just when I have more time.  I want to play a board game with the kids.  I want to snuggle with each of them in bed.  I want to read more often to my son and maybe even try to get my teenage daughter to let me read to her.  But there never seems to be enough time in the day, especially at the end of it.  There's always another load of laundry, something else that needs cleaned, a report that needs to be written, a neat tech article or next chapter in a book that I want to read, etc.  But sometimes I have to just set all that aside to do what my kids will remember more.  And sometimes I do, but probably not often enough.

I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to run a marathon before I turned 40.  This from a woman who'd given up running and gained 30 pounds over 15 or so years.  But, one day, after working up to it slowly over a year and a half, I finally did it.  And I had about one year to spare.

There are so many places and things I want to see, and some that I want to show my kids, too.  I want to go on another cruise, but Darrell doesn't.  I want all of us to see the Grand Canyon and for the kids to get to see Niagara Falls.  I want my daughter to get to go to Europe at a much younger age than I did (my 30's).  So, there are times I need to just take the leap, even when it seems like time and finances won't allow.  A friend invited me on a cruise this fall.  I'm going, and I can't wait.  It conveniently gets Darrell out of going on one with me and saves a lot of money doing it this way, too.  I get to hang out with some really great ladies for a week, all kid-free.

And as for the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, and Europe...  I don't have solid plans yet, but there will come a day I'll decide, and hopefully "just do it" while we still have the chance.