I think the word mother is synonymous with busy. Time is a precious resource and when we have a bit of it to ourselves we’re often too exhausted to even enjoy it, let enough do things for ourselves.
I’m not the only mother out there constantly playing the waiting game, pushing off things I want to do because I have other obligations or not enough energy.
It’s funny how even when we know how fragile life can be, we still think we have plenty of time to do the things we’ve been meaning to do.
I think we should learn from our kids, they don’t wait. They just jump into new things. They can be exhausted but still insist on playing a new game or coloring a picture. They enjoy crawling and don’t waste time dreaming about when they will finally walk.
They’re right, because life is too short for the waiting game.
Waiting for the right time or the right moment.
Waiting for the inspiration to hit.
Waiting to be sure.
Waiting to take a chance and go out on a limb.
Waiting to take a class or learn something new.
Waiting for someone else to tell me I’m worthwhile.
Waiting until ______.
I want to stop waiting.
Because no one else is responsible for my happiness.
No one else can give me the answer to what’s right for me.
No one else can grant me satisfaction with my life.
No one else can open doors for me if I am holding them shut.
No one else can fill my life with love if I don’t love myself.
Do the things that bring you joy and make you happy. Stop waiting for tomorrow. Just do it. Now.
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by Susie Mayerfeld, our contributor in Israel.
Photo credits to the author.
So true. I think sometimes we even may feel badly in admitting that we put other things ahead of what we want to do for ourselves, because it seems like, you know… poor me. But, as moms we tend to do that. From when we try to eat something healthy that the kids don’t usually like when you give it to them, but they see you eat it so they like it now, and now they are eating foods you can’t eat and those you can. Or using money for this or that, but putting off getting that certification for yourself… There are so many ways in which I think you are absolutely right: the waiting game is not for mothers. Really I feel like it’s not for a whole lot of people after a certain age. 🙂 Maybe it goes up and down.. I don’t know… but time waits for no one and opportunities, even the ones that could have been for us, do pass us by if we just wait and wait and wait. Very nice post.
Spot on, Susie. The problem is (even though we’re well aware of everything in your post) days, weeks, months and years keep slipping by without us making the time to follow our dreams. The reasons for this are as numerous as the number of individuals. That said, I feel that many people of my generation were raised very differently from the way we raise children now. Speaking for myself, I know it’s taken me over 40 years to deal with (most of) my childhood baggage (exacerbated by Clinical Depression). Just no longer being in that dark pit is a huge achievement for me. 🙂
Well said Susie! It feels as if we took a subscription to waiting for the perfect moment. There is none of that in our daily lives. It will never be the right time till we decide it. As mums we have to prioritize but that doesn’t mean to give up on our dreams.