Just who do you think YOU are?

  Hope everyone had a good weekend!  Did we really have a good weekend?  Did we meet all of our internal expectations for our lives?  If all went well,  our homes might be immaculate, the kids got a bath, our husbands met our emotional expectations and we had a couple of good meals.  I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say for many gals, one or more of these scenarios did not take place.  How did that make us feel?..how did we respond?

  We look at others around us and think, "surely, they must have it together"...we see what we perceive as flaws in our own lives and we allow shame to creep in oh so subtly.  We begin the slow downward spiral of self  loathing.  Let's step away from this dreaded descent for a moment.  We know we should love our children, respect our men and we have certain ingrained expectations on us as women.  But how do you love yourself?

  We  mentally assent to the term "me time",  but what are we believing about ourselves when were in the 'trenches"?   My encouragement to myself  and to you is to go easy on your self.  Let's not view ourselves in a bad light  because the house is a mess or the kids aren't a picture perfect image of manners.   Lets take life one step at a time and strive to enjoy the process.  I often hear older folks say, " enjoy them (your children) while they are young".  They don't really add anything to that statement, but I often wonder if they have regrets.  Did they let the years fly by in a downward spiral of discontentment?  Did they think they had to live up to the image of  "The Jones' "?  One day, I hope  my children will remember my love not my organized cabinet.   So, I will endeavor to keep this in mind when thoughts of  "you're not enough" show up at my door.