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Mamma, Don’t Run on an Empty Tank

Today I’m heading to the city for a big grocery run.  Sam’s, Costco and Target better be ready for the mission I am on to get it all done is under 2 hours so I can spend the rest of my day perusing through other stores where I have no intention of buying anything.  I am in need of a girlie day and I intend to make it happen.  I may pop into Home Goods or anthropologie.  I don’t know.  It really doesn’t matter.  It will be quiet with no agenda which is all I really want.

I generally get myself into some kind of trouble when I go to the city.  I don’t know how it happens, but either my skirt falls off or I can’t find the sunglasses on the top of my head so I go into a panic.  But I am going to be extra careful today ‘cuz you know, ain’t nobody got time for that.

The past couple of weeks of homeschool have been a lot to manage.  For some reason it looks like this will be my toughest year yet and getting it all done will only be possible with the help of prayer, a tight schedule and some days like today where I disappear from all discussions of sentence diagrams and the fall of the Roman Empire.

This mom needs a day away from it all occasionally. You can read here about how I have always taken a night off each week and tips n how I did that even when my kids were little.  But I haven’t been able to do it for several weeks and I am running on an empty tank over here.

I know myself and the way I fill my tank is by having some alone time.  If you’re an extrovert you might need the opposite….time around other people (specifically grown-ups) to get those juices flowing.  If I don’t get some quality alone time every couple of weeks I start to unravel.  And nobody wants to see that.

Once I get home tonight there will only be enough time to unload the groceries (which, of course, I have my people do for me) and go to bed.  We have a conference to go to on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  I will be attending the Forge Conference with James and some of the older kids.  I’m excited to hear some deep teaching and meet up with some precious families.  We have all been looking forward to it for the past few months.

Then on Saturday night my sister and I (along with our husbands, of course) will take my parents out to a fancy-pants dinner to celebrate their 50th anniversary.  It will be fun to get all dressed up.  That is a rare event in the life of this Texas farm wife.

All in all it’s a full week of good stuff that will most likely leave me exhausted by Sunday night. But it’ll be that good kind of exhausted where you know your week was so full of goodness and hard work that you can sleep like a baby.  By the time the weekend is over my tank should be nice and full again and I will be ready to hit the ground running (or at least fast walking) on Monday morning.

What do you do to fill your tank?

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5 Comments

  1. I really should follow your example – I rarely take time for myself and sometimes I do run on empty and end up being stressed and grumpy with everyone! I don’t really enjoy shopping – stretching those dollars gets down right depressing at times! I enjoy sitting by water with my Bible and my knitting and maybe one good friend – or my sweet Mum – but that happens so very rarely! I think I’ll set aside some time to enjoy the back patio and catch some solitude there … those I have a feeling the weeds will be calling to me!

  2. Great words of wisdom, Lisa! Moms CAN run on empty for awhile, but it’s not good for us, is it??

    I’m not sure if I’m a contemplative extrovert or an outgoing introvert, but sometimes I fill my tank by being with people and sometimes by being alone. One thing’s for sure–it requires some intentionality!

  3. Richella nailed my indecision as well – contemplative extrovert or outgoing introvert…? I think I’m probably the later.

    Fortunately, my husband is very good at recognizing that I need a regular break and he works at getting it for me. Sometimes it’s alone time but most times it’s laughing with (or at) my lady friends.

  4. I hate to bring this up, but don’t you think the weight you’ve been dropping lately might make it more likely you’ll lose your skirt again?? 😉

    I hope your day of refueling was all you planned it to be!

    ~k

  5. I’m so lucky because I fill my tank with a good book in bed at night. That’s all it takes. In fact, the outings and sociality that you described with such pleasure deplete me. I consider myself lucky because I don’t need a sitter or lots of time or lots of money to fill my tank–just my library card and a house full of sleeping people. 🙂

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