Sweet sweet mom, don’t let others, expectations or the pressures of being out of balance slow you down when you need to push hard.
That’s the first thing I need you to know. Because sometimes people will tell you to enjoy the moment and you can’t even catch your breath and you have too much to do or life is just plain and simple hard.
Life is this unpredictable balance.
Sometimes it is beautiful and sometimes it is ugly.
Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it is hard work.
And sometimes you have to get out of balance to get back into balance.
And no one preps you for those years. No one preps you for setbacks. No one preps you for financial struggles. No one preps you for relationship issues. No one preps you for clawing back in life. No one preps you for the hard work of reclaiming life.
No one.
And sometimes, even though you know you should be enjoying the moment, you have to be out of balance.
It’s like teetering on a tightrope trying to make it across, knowing you have to keep going and people are yelling, “look around, savor the moment!” and you know that you cannot stop your momentum.
You have to keep going.
You can’t stop.
Sometimes when I was in those years of crazy teetering out of balance, I imagined my family cheering on the other side of life’s hypothetical tightrope. My eyes were fixed there, on them, not at all the noise around.
Because it is easy to listen to those who aren’t in a place of out-of-balance and think we are messing up or not doing the right thing or are missing out on the now. But the now? The now never looks like another’s now. It’s unique, for you in this time, and sister, it’s not always perfect.
Sometimes the now is messy.
Sometimes the now means so much hard work.
Sometimes the now means sacrificing so tomorrow is better.
Sometimes the now is weary and tiring.
Sometimes the now is long nights awake.
Sometimes the now is long days in doctor’s offices.
Sometimes the now is working away.
Sometimes the now is working at home.
Sometimes the now is lonely.
But, sister, when you are determined to change your life or better your life you are not only blessing yourself, but your family.
There was a time when I was working my way out of my financial situation, newly single mom, doing almost everything alone and I was sitting in a plane as it was taking off and the tears fell from my eyes.
I felt like I was failing my kids. Then I messaged my mom. She told me I was fighting for them and in this moment, I was in the moment.
I was in the moment.
I was in the moment, the out of balance now, on a plane far from them because I was there for them. I was providing.
My grandpa was a farmer in Minnesota. And during harvest time, my grandfather wasn’t found playing with us. He wasn’t found watching the sunset. He wasn’t found in the barn.
He was found in the fields, laboring away.
He was working for his family.
And that is love.
So when you find yourself out of balance, maybe you aren’t out of balance, but maybe you are exactly where you are. You see that’s the beauty of this life, this world. We all have different stories and different places of balance.
There are times where you can watch the sunset.
There are times when you have to work through the sunset.
So if you feel out of sync, out of balance, know that I see you. I know how hard the battle can be, how hard it can be to keep walking, how much focus it takes.
You are creating a better tomorrow.
Maybe your moments don’t look instagram perfect.
Maybe your moments don’t look beautifully put together.
Maybe your moments don’t look wonderful.
Maybe your moments are messy.
Maybe your moments are breath by breath.
Maybe your moments are raw.
But when you work and give out of tenacious love and a fight for your family it is extraordinary.
That is an extraordinary moment.
Sister, you are extraordinary.
Balance will come.
Keep walking.
~Rachel
Finding Joy
ps….the story of my grandpa is shared more in my book “The Brave Art of Motherhood”
