Real life simplicity

I've decided to resume blogging after a long sabbatical. Where have I been? Buried under the heap of life! As my plate filled up this past year, I methodically reviewed each of my responsibilities and mentally ordered them. I focused intently on the highest priorities, and gracefully axed each one that I felt was low on the priority list. This was not easy since some of the things I had to let go were important to me (like blogging), but it was a necessary task to preserve my sanity and the integrity of our family structure.

Our family was involved in a huge undertaking of home remodeling, and that is just about finished now. My baby is also starting kindergarten this fall (how did I get this old???) and I wanted to squeeze every possible moment out of his last year at home. On the flipside of that coin, my oldest will be flying the coop in not too many years, so in a nutshell, my mothering has taken a new perspective. I decided to be proactive with fine-tuning my health and have focused on changing some long-time issues. These are not in any particular order, nor is it an all-inclusive list.

I have learned a lot in this process...practical things like realizing that life doesn't come to a screeching halt if :

• I'm not active in the PTA
• My children eat something that isn't homemade, healthy, and tasty
• I stay in my pajamas longer than usual 
• I don't answer the phone

I also learned really important things about my life's purpose and the people most important to me. This whole process is ongoing, and I hope it always will be in order to keep me re-evaluating and priorititizing and focusing on the good stuff.

It's impossible to have a long range perspective all the time; laundry has to be done, hair needs to be washed, and we have bad days. Being able to let things go, and making decisions that guide our actions are skills necessary to lead a simple life. Here's to the process!