A Moment of Solitude

(Written on Friday afternoon, 8/6)


"When we cannot bear to be alone, it means we do not properly value the only companion we will have from birth to death - ourselves."  ~Eda LeShan


This upcoming weekend I have the kids all to myself while Dave does the NYC Triathlon. (Addendum added 8/8/11 - Dave finished #95 out of over 6,000 racers. Who's better than our Daddy??!! I mean, seriously?!)

(Running a race with 40 lbs of kid...and fast.)

Because I'm fortunate enough to have a husband who is a very devoted and hands-on father, I am happy that he takes time to do these races the few times he wants during the year. 

I also know he does them far less than he would really like so he can spend time with our family and that means a lot to me.

(Dave's Father's Day breakfast in bed. He said his perfect gift

would be for us all to run a race together which we did.)

(Dave winning across three categories. He's an animal.)

As much as I am looking forward to being with the kids, it's been a rough week and my fingers are crossed that it is actually light I see down at the end of that deep, dark tunnel. 

Because I want to be my best, fully present and calm Mommy for this weekend, I took care of myself today. I got a sitter to come early so I could strike some tasks on my to-do list and take a yoga class on my favorite orange mat from my favorite girl, Kiersten. 

While in the class I said a silent prayer thanking God that I had the funds to hire a sitter and the physical ability to take this class.


Although I loved every minute of becoming that zen state-of-mind, it dawned on me that I like being alone, not in a room surrounded by strangers. Now, if you know me you know that my three rules are, your teeth can never be too white, you can never be too skinny tan skinnytan*, and you can never have too many people at a party but, sometimes I just need to be by myself.


Even though I love being surrounded with lots of family and friends at all times, I know myself enough to know that I also need time to be alone and I certainly have fallen short on taking care of that side of me over the past couple of years. 


Do you get enough ME time? When do you escape from it all for an hour or even five minutes? 


My message to you is to reward yourself for all that you do for everybody else and take some much needed  time for yourself. No cell phone, TV or computer--just let yourself BE. I think you would enjoy what you would learn about yourself with no distractions.


I'm signing off now as I've just kicked off my shoes since my kiddies are finally asleep and I'm going to escape to our beautiful back yard where the only sounds I'll hear are gentle breezes blowing our wind chimes (thank you Frank and Barbara!), soft chirping birds, the faint creaking of the glider as it moves back-and-forth, and the clinking of ice cubes as they melt in my tall glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade (full disclaimer: they're won't be any ice cubes because our ice maker is broken and there won't be any lemonade until after nap time when my plans are to teach Hunter how to make real pink lemonade squeezed by his own hands but, until then, a girl can dream). 

(This is my friend Debra pulling our kids in the Radio Flyer wagon 

in our back yard this summer.)

After my time of solitude I'll emerge a better Mommy haven taken care of myself and ready for a weekend full of adventure whether it be rough or smooth. 


(After nap lemonade making.)

 (Squeezing those lemons with all his might.)

 (In the nude of course.)

 (Sissy didn't quite understand that you only needed the juice and not the whole lemon.)

 (I had no idea that there was Cranberry juice in pink lemonade.....

or that you only get about 1/2 cup of juice from 45 lemons.)

 (I wanted to be authentic so we did use real lemon juice.)

 (These adorable sugars are from Le Chic Bakery on etsy.)

  (Sissy was really good at dropping the sugar cubes in...)

 (....and fishing them out.)

(Tiny hands make the best lemonade!)

I have a feeling it's going to be a great weekend!

"It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts."  ~K.T. Jong


*I've changed my viewpoint on this one in the last couple of years but it still sounds funny to say it.