Attention: All middle-aged—I mean—middle-stage parents (parents whose last child is between 3-5 and the oldest is 10-17)
If you will remember that you have purpose outside of being a bedraggled, overworked, overtired, never-have-time-for-yourself person, you can avoid feelings of uselessness.
You are important, even if you are able do stuff you actually want to do now that your children are capable of doing almost everything for themselves!
Personally, I am caught in a strange little place because I have supplanted finishing my Bachelor's degree in place of having time for
precisely what I would like to do, but I am definitely still making choices outside of the realm of mommyhood. It is a liberating experience, after over a decade of intense mothering of small children, to do even small things that are just for me. I am still coming to grips with recognizing that I can and should take it easy sometimes and not run around like I had to when everyone was small and less able to help themselves.
Give yourself permission to be at ease (at least part of the time), Soldier.
--inspiration for short commentary from a status on Facebook by my fellow overachiever friend
Julie C. Donaldson, mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, published author.
