Pieces of Me

Several months ago I was reading one of my favorite blogs, and Ann Voskamp's words once again brought tears to my eyes and made me think more deeply about my role as a mother. For the past 7 years, I've been reading and re-reading Beautiful in God's Eyes by Elizabeth George about the Proverbs 31 woman, gleaning all I can from the outstanding example the Bible gives us for being a woman of God. Build your home, raise your family, support your husband, work hard, have an industry - all basics for being a P31 woman. And when I read Ann's words, I asked myself if I pluck new feathers from my breast daily or if I give my son, my home, my husband the leftover feathers that have fallen to the ground. Although I cannot say the things Ms. Voskamp says quite as gracefully, I want to measure myself daily against the Proverbs 31 woman.

Here's a few things that I can do to ensure my family is getting the best of me:

1. Put them first! It takes a lot of sacrifice to put family first. I've discovered that just this week when my dream job of being a magazine editor was staring me in the face. It just doesn't seem right for me at this point, even though it is only part time.
2. Be organized. This is so important because disorganization leads to idleness, which, for me, leads to self loathing. Keeping a running to-do list and prioritizing are a couple of ways to stay organized. More than that, being a good steward of my time is probably the most important and most difficult aspect of staying organized. The internet can be an enormous time sucker!
   
3. Spend quality time. Even being a stay-at-home mom it's easy to get caught up in chores and errands all day so that I don't even take time to play with Kameen. I often tell hubby, it's not the quantity of time, it's the quality! I try to remember to sit down with Kameen and play with him. I also have to remember to spend quality time with Chris. He needs it as much as Kameen!
   
4. Give to myself. If there's anything mothers tend to do that's the opposite of what we should do, it's ignore our own needs. There is, however, a fine line between being balanced and being selfish. But, I see that it's important for me to take a break whether by exercising, having a few hours on Saturday mornings alone, or getting a pedicure. It helps me relax and reflect and ultimately be a better mommy and wife.

These are just a few things I can think of to make sure that I'm like those mother ducks. I wonder what other moms do to be the best they can be? I'd love to hear more suggestions.