Running to Stand Still

Last weekend an acquaintance at a party dismissed me by saying “but it’s easy for you.” I was stunned. If I am making this life look easy then I am doing a disservice to women everywhere. I am here to tell you that it takes A LOT of hard work to make this crazy life look remotely manageable.

Show of hands – who out there is exhausted? My hand is raised high and I am not afraid to write about it. Don’t get me wrong, life is FUN and full and I am grateful for everything I have. But sometimes I need a break from the treadmill, too. Between running two companies, working at my daughter’s preschool, being a good wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, dog mom, volunteer, consultant and community member, and scheduling and balancing and negotiating everything, well, it’s a lot.

How did life get so incredibly busy?

It feels like there is always a goal to achieve and then, when that is achieved, there is another mountain to climb. I remember our pre-kid days when we were looking for a home to buy and every single weekend was spent going to open houses. It felt like it would never end. Then we finally found the house and did the mountain of work to buy the house and move in. It felt like there was barely a minute to breathe before the next hurdle had to be jumped. Trust me, I get it and I know how fortunate I am. These are good challenges but man they are exhausting!

These days I feel like I am running to stand still. I get up earlier and earlier in the morning just to stay on top of the mountain of details that need attention in order to make our lives run smoothly. Explaining to 3yo about why underpants are necessary, coating the dog’s medicine in peanut butter to get her to take it, responding to urgent client emails, making sure everyone has breakfast and brushed teeth… this is all before 7am! It usually means I have not brushed my hair or had any coffee. And this is all with the help of my wonderful husband. But apparently I am making it all look too easy.

I see all those raised hands. I see YOU, mama. We are exhausted and it is NOT easy. I get it. Let’s all just try to remember, life isn’t easy for anyone. We are all dealing with something. Let’s support each other and never ever assume someone has an easier path to travel.