Like many Professional Nannies, I work 10-hour days and come home pretty exhausted. The “I’m gonna get your belly” and “I’m a roaring tiger trying to get into your playhouse” games do get the best of me…. so much that the most important boy, my husband,  gets my leftovers. But, I have learned over our four years of marriage that if I cook him dinner, I am filling his “Love Tank” (The Five Love Languages).  So when I walk my worn-out body in the door about 5:20 p.m., I do not sit down…in fact, I try not to go past the kitchen. I start to cook a home-made meal. The dwindling energy is harnessed not because I LOoooove to cook, but because to Doug, this is an act of love. So another meal, more dishes, sometimes brownies and it is usually 7:00 p.m. before I can think about my own needs. Shower. Sleep. (And people ask when we are going to have kids of our own! Please?!)

Do I sound like I am complaining? I know that I have it good. In fact, I am rewarded for all my silly games (work-outs) and meals (love) with smiles and laughs from all the boys. Plus, I have a break in my week. Wednesdays off! Wow, how did I luck out with this? I am so grateful to sleep in, run errands, help at my church – – and more importantly SEE ADULTS and have ADULT CONVERSATION! [Side note: It is a miracle of God that I made it 9 months with triplets stuck in the house before I had transportation for field trips.]

So that brings me to the topic of “Balance”. We all have physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs, would a perfect life be the discovery of that perfect balance? Impossible? 

As women – mothers, nannies, employees, friends – we are hard-wired to multi-task. (Isn’t a good thing?) It is rare when I am NOT doing two things at the same time. Cutting fruit while singing “The ABCs”. Driving the chaotic Beechmont Ave. while pointing out mail trucks. Helping one boy learn to climb a ladder while watching two others conquer the rest of the playground. Or what I’m doing now, writing my BLOG and watching the best show on TV, So You Think You Can Dance. Through all this, if you are like me, we are making mental notes on our to-do list: appointments to schedule, home design planning, meal-creating, dance venue managing, and even Christmas listing in July. It’s exhausting to think about. Our minds are so busy, and they can get the best of us. Unfortunately, I spend a lot of my day responding to my mental cues, rather than focusing on the priorities in their appropriate order, time, and place. 

How do we harness our multi-tasking skills and yet give complete focus to our priorities? Impossible?

I don’t know that I have the answer, except to realize it. If you have the internal promptings telling you are failing something or someone in your life, take some time to think about why and how to change it. 

My husband and I just recently bought a house. Not only has it sucked up all of our money, but it’s consumed our time. We decided we shouldn’t skip our vacation this year; we needed a break from the house. We just didn’t really have the money we wanted to put towards a beach house or flight. This ended up being such a blessing in our summer because a family member offered their lake house to us! 

On vacation we were able to relax, play games, canoe, read, dream together, and remember each other as the priority.  Even more than my relationship connection with Doug, I was able to reconnect in my spiritual relationship with God. Prayer, Proverbs and coffee started each morning – – 3 hours later than my normal start! I journaled my latest hopes and dreams and spent time thinking about my life. I read two books, played with dogs, cooked and was cooked for! I learned new card games and played a 4-day Risk game. Without TV, wifi, or cell phones, we were forced to quiet our life and even those mental cues. It was glorious! 

I came home hoping to bring the vacation way of life into my crazy, multi-tasking, exhausting days. Impossible? 

One simple way to start project “bring vacation home” was to change my Sundays. Doug and I attend church weekly and our spiritual application of the Bible’s truths to our life is a glue in our marriage. We met at church and bonded early on in our relationship over spiritual matters. One thing that he has been trying to get me to understand is the concept of resting on Sunday. I have a hard time stopping my multi-tasking brain to just do one lazy thing. I hate feeling unproductive. Why just watch a movie when you could also be doing laundry and paying bills WHILE watching the movie? But, after vacation and that peace that came by choosing to slow down, I FINALLY GOT IT. I have moved laundry day from Sunday to Monday or Tuesday. House projects will have to happen on Saturdays or through the week. I got it, and Doug is so excited. He grew up with this mentality. He has been trying to live this rest on Sundays for four years, but busy me kept going!  I am destined to honor him and the biblical principle by adjusting my life to this new way. Simple but revolutionary. 

One other place in my life that I am lacking is my other relationships….you know with people over the age of 3!   Why am I singing about Elmo’s Potty in my sleep? And, where did my 3, 4 & 5-syllable words go? (I swear I had them.) Well, there are girl friends that I need to call for breakfast. A date that needs some romantic thought. As for my job, play dates will become more of a priority this year. The isolation can get to moms and nannies alike. Fight it. 

The cheapest vacation I ever took, has given back to me a wealth of new vision for my life. Balance. Rest. Taking the time to build into my passions. Deleting items from my agenda because they are not worth the time and energy. Focusing on the priorities and therefore fulfilling the calling on my life. I am here for a reason.  

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” – Robert Byrne

Balance. It’s possible!