Learning to Survive…WITHOUT Children

Yes! You read correctly. I am learning to survive…..without my children. They have gone to spend a few weeks with my parents for the summer. I have not been without all of my children, for any great length of time, in ages. You are probably thinking “Vacation!”. LOL At first I thought, “yep, this will be nice”. However, I am finding it harder and more debilitating than I imagined.

You might be asking….How could it possibly be debilitating? I have been thinking about this myself and have come to the conclusion that I don’t know what to do with myself. I don’t know how to “be still” and I miss them like crazy. 🙂 I have the hardest time trying to accomplish goals that I set for the day…simply because….I miss them. I am lonely and find my own company boring. Does this mean I’m boring when they are here? That is something only they could tell you, I guess.

I have things I like to do…but no one to do them with. There is just something about having my children around me…I think I need them more than they need me. 🙂 With them close to me, I stay so busy…Without them, I am lost.

So….this is why I am learning to survive without them. I am learning to slow down and look at what is around me. I am learning that I don’t always have to be busy to accomplish what is important. I am finding that I have time for exercise and personal scripture study. I am learning to appreciate all the little things that my children do for me. The things they do mean so much to be but are easily overlooked during the frantic rush of life. The funny thing is, I have always known how much I appreciate them but I had become so pre-occupied with what needs done next that I wasn’t spending the time just enjoying being myself and being “with them”, or letting them know how much I appreciate what they do.

So…Survival 101: I will focus on myself…so that I can focus on my family. I will not become obsessed with the little things that mean nothing.  I am learning to slow down and pay attention to what matters the most. I love the talk given my Dieter F. Uchtdorf during General Conference about the Moments that Matter Most!  I like this quote “We would do well to slow down a little, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most.” & “There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions.” This is what I need to practice…simplicity.

When my children are back in my arms I hope to have become a better individual…happier with who I am…stronger.. so that I can be an even better mom and wife. I LOVE being a MOM. I wouldn’t trade it for any other job in the world.

Here are some links (one day I will learn how to embed the video) to Mormon Messages newest video, inspired by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s  October 2010 General Conference address, Of Things that Matter Most. This video has been an inspiration for me. It beautifully reminds us that we would do well to slow down a little, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes and truly see the things that matter most!

Moments That Matter Most

With a gospel perspective we can create the kind of moments that ultimately bring us to the Savior!