Savoring the Days

 Good Morning, Friends!

As I eluded to in my last post, I'm taking things kind of slow around here and trying to just savor the days and the fact that I'm back home, not just house-wise, but in my rightful place as a homemaker. 

Every time I talk about this (to myself mostly) I have a guilty feeling come over me, like I'm doing something wrong by wanting to be at home, after working for 10 months. But that's not right and not fair to the homemaker I used to be and the 30+ years I put in on that job. I need to get over it, right? And I'm trying.

On the other hand, there's a new appreciation I'm feeling as well, for the privilege of being back home. 

Again...all it takes is stepping away from something old, to gain an entirely new perspective on the new, even if you've been there before.

I remember years ago, as a young homeschooling mom deep in the trenches of teaching two boys - all day, every day - and I was starting to experience burnout. Not from my kids, but from the teaching, lesson plans, spending money on curriculum every year and all the time and energy it took to be all things to all the hats I was wearing at the time. 

I would get my favorite homeschooling magazine in the mail and want to hide it, instead of read it, because I felt like I couldn't take one more article about teaching or planning. In fact, I stayed in that mode of burnout for months, just going through the motions, but not finding the joy like I once did. 

I never questioned the calling to be at home teaching my boys, but I had lost the passion, so I had to change things up; step away from all that felt mundane and routine. After a few changes to the schedule, the routines and tweaks to the way we were doing things, I finally picked up my magazines again, started reading and becoming excited and motivated again and never looked back. 

All it took was a break.

Homemaking is the same way. I think it's why some women have a hard time imagining being at home full time and sometimes why homemakers feel like they need to try something new. All the cooking and cleaning and the days and weeks can become mundane and ordinary. But I'm here to say that all it takes is stepping away, living another life for 10 months, to make you appreciate the ordinary days like never before.

That's where I'm at. 

I've been waking up this week, praising God for giving me back my life as a homemaker. In fact, it feels fragile and unreal and yet, so familiar and a part of who I am. As dramatic as that sounds, it's the truth.

So many times in life, we have to lose something to appreciate it. I wish it weren't that way. But in the losing, we often find what we were missing, and yet had all along. I hope that makes sense.

All that to say...I'm so happy to be home again. This is what I was made to do. And I'm thankful that the Lord lets us try things sometimes, because he knows it's what we need, in order to appreciate what he's already given us. 

So I'm taking it slow this week and moving at my own pace. In fact, I may sit at this restful pace for the rest of the month, but probably won't. If you know me, you know I don't sit still for very long. I've got ideas and plans and things to write and meals to create and babies to see and all the good things that life's going to bring. 

But I've got peace and that's the most important thing of all.

Thanks for following along and coming back, time after time. You are treasured, my friends.

Until Next Time...

Blessings!