Life has felt so heavy since Mom’s accident three weeks ago.
The accident has required care for Mom, as is necessary while recovering from a broken neck and multiple crushed ribs. I’ve loved that I’ve been able to help, even if in my mind it seems so inadequate.
The accident caused so many feelings to surface. I’ve had to take time to reflect on my recent life choices. You see, I live next door to my parents, but I rarely spend time with them.
Life gets too busy.
I work.
I’m tired.
And….I feel so guilty.
Simply, I haven’t made the most of my time with Mom and Dad, and I have serious regrets.
I’ve not been the daughter I should have been.
I’m at the point where I need to work really hard to be able to retire. However, I’ve realized I must prioritize. I need to spend time with my precious parents while I have them. Honestly, I’m finding it so hard to find that balance in life.
Mom’s accident was a wake-up call; a call to change.
After three weeks of stress, life is finally getting back to normal. Mom’s pain is better, allowing her to do more. I’m finally beginning to catch up with the things in which I’m horribly behind. Worry, stress, and anxiety always cause me to shut down, and as a result, I become terribly disorganized and unmotivated. I’m not one to procrastinate, but I find myself doing that very thing when I’m overwhelmed and don’t know how to deal with my feelings.
This week, I’ve had to focus on appreciating the little things in life.
It’s easy to get so caught up in minor details and life circumstances that you begin to completely miss out on life. You realize that you are really just existing.
This week, I tried to put extra effort into life.
I’ve made my best effort to focus on my many blessings each day. I’ve been present in my life- not worrying about what I need to do, and not worrying about things I can’t fix.
I’ve made an effort to focus on the blessing in every moment, which means a whole lot of prayer and Jesus time!
I find that my Favorite Five posts help me to focus on being present.
I work hard to search to find blessings in every circumstance.
Don’t we all need that?
Here are this week’s Favorite Five….
1~ A Beautiful Saturday– I’ve done my best to stay close to home in case Mom needed me. Saturday, I helped mom wash and dry her hair. Y’all, there is a fantastic waterless shower cap that does actually clean hair. I was very impressed. If ever you know someone who struggles with hair washing, these caps can be purchased on Amazon. As I dried Mom’s hair, I was so grateful for that opportunity. I couldn’t help but think how thankful I was that I didn’t lose her the day of the accident.
Later on Saturday, Eric put together all of the pool furniture I ordered. I’ve been dreading replacing it because of the expense, but it was all SO ratty after ten years of heat torture. Outside furniture can only endure so much spray painting! It was just time. While he worked, I sat outside and took a minute to appreciate all he does around the house. I felt so grateful! I don’t know what I would have done if I’d had to put together all of that furniture myself. It probably would still be in boxes! And bless! The cushions for the lounge chairs are as white as snow. One blueberry bird poop, and we are done. This was not a wise choice!
2~ Snow- Yes, we did see a few flakes on the day following the beautiful Saturday. I grabbed my snow mug (I’m all about the mug) and we fired up the fireplace for one last time this year (hopefully!) I mean, this is North Carolina’s March! I noticed how amazing the warmth felt on my feet and soaked up the moment before the snow stopped. I’m grateful I took the time to honor that moment! It was an event!
3~ My Ipsy Glam Bag- This is my favorite treat! I love surprises (as long as they are predictable surprises- IYKYK). My Ipsy bag comes once a month. I tailor my preferences through my profile and can pick one item each month. I love that I can get things I will buy anyway, along with extra surprises to try. I haven’t had to buy eyeliner or mascara since getting my Ipsy bag! It usually has one or the other, so I feel as if it’s cost-effective. All of the items in it are high quality. My favorite item this month was the small compact of setting powder. It was perfect for the makeup bag in my purse. While I usually just open my package, this time I enjoyed it with a glass of wine and savored every moment of looking through my products.
4~ A New Eyeshadow Palette- I’ve had to replace some of my makeup colors. The greyer my hair turns, the fewer shades of brown I am able to wear. I did a huge much-needed makeup purge (I might be a makeup hoarder.) This Morphe palette is the perfect mixture of neutral browns, taupes, and greys. I would totally recommend this palette if you have cool skin tones. It was less inexpensive than most, the colors are so creamy, and there is absolutely no eyeshadow fallout. Win!
5~ St. Patrick’s Day- I love to celebrate everything! While I highly considered not celebrating (you know- the bad mood), I decided to deck myself in green and make it a fun school day. It’s amazing what a great day you can have when you decide to do so. My day started with coffee at my favorite coffee shop, although I wished I’d picked up some green donuts for my breakfast crew. I do love them so much! I did wear my new Amazon shamrock dress (check out this cute Easter version!), gold leather boots, and received the sweetest cards from my students. I even painted my nails green….which I’ve never done before. It was a great day! Because of a headache, I didn’t go out or do anything extra, but sometimes, you treasure the downtime.
My mom’s accident made me realize that life is so short. Y’all, I’m already 50. It could be gone in a blink of an eye! I need to make the most of every moment I have left. I encourage you to do the same.
Be present.
Make the effort.
Find the blessings!
For more St. Patrick’s Day posts, check out these…..
