Note: Forgive me if this whole post doesn’t make sense. It was written in my head in the middle of the night.
Do you know how a child looks when they are drowning?
There’s some video or article that talks drowning accidents. And how they don’t look like you imagine. They talk about what to look for when a child is drowning.
Do you know how a mom looks when she is drowning?
I am getting a clearer picture as I talk to more and more moms.
Look for a mom who is tired. A mom who is overwhelmed. A mom who has a smile on her face.
Look for a mom who volunteers for all the things. A mom who opens her home to you. A mom who is bringing her child to an appointment…again.
A mom who is drowning can look like any mom you see today. So it may be hard to recognize when a mom is drowning.
We go about our day and not think twice if someone else needs help. Because we need help.
And I don’t think this is okay. I am not okay. You might not be okay either.
I thought a thought and then I wrote a thing HERE on my recent reflections about overwhelm and my heavy heart.
Enough is enough.
And you know what else?
You are enough.
Busy is not a badge of honor.
They do not give out awards for busy.
I understand roles and responsibilities. I also understand rest and rhythm.
We are told to take a break, but how do we make that happen? Many of us are only supported by other moms who are in the exact same position.
We hear it from church, that a Sabbath is good. But in that same place, we are asked to step up and fill the gap to lead.
It is a tricky place to be trying to figure out how to balance it all. I recently read an article about this…maybe we don’t need to balance things…it’s hard and we can fall and drop all the things we are trying to hold up.
What if we chose to blend things to create something of beauty?
I don’t know what this will look like, but I am looking for a tribe of mamas who will journey with me to find peace and hope and joy in the midst of the crazy and fun and challenge and love.
I have prepared a gathering place of sorts two years ago and was not brave enough to know what to do. I lost my brave along the way somehow and I want to find it again…along with so many other things.
Having heard the hearts of many mama friends, I think it is time.
I hope it will be a place of encouragement as well as learning, a place where you can find and give grace, a place of inspiration but also of accountability. I want to hear your story and help you take the next steps…or rather, let’s take some next steps together because I’m right there with ya. There are the must-dos of motherhood like laundry and meals and there are the wish-to-dos like personal retreats which I believe are so life-giving and everyone around us can benefit. And then how do we fit in things like trying new things, budgeting, taking adventures, emergency planning? Let’s figure this out together.
Please hear me out when I say this will not be “another thing for the to-do list.” If it starts to feel like that, you are free to come and go as the seasons change.
I may share Scripture and other Bible stuff here or there, but if you don’t consider yourself religious, that is okay. You are welcome to join. Or not. I’m not easily offended. But I do hope you find your own tribe of life-giving friends to love on you and lift you up.
Fill out this survey and come join us! (Open to the first 20 moms right now.) 4/8/18: The group is closed right now but you can still fill out the survey.
>>> Mom Challenge Survey <<<
A few more details about the group: There will be monthly discussion theme, quarterly challenges, accountability for your action steps, resource recommendations, freebies and giveaways for the journey ahead, been-there-done-that mamas to speak truth and encouragement, and more! I’m opening this group up to the first 20 moms interested in making progress in their #momlife. I’m not sure when it’ll reopen for more members. Even if you’re not interested, take the survey and download my Personal Planning Retreat planner after you click “submit.”