Wednesday, March 6, 2013

There's No Such Thing as Balance


Wanna know which word makes me cringe? Balance. I seriously dislike this word when it's used to describe how we (as wives and moms) should live our lives. Balanced. Finding that balance. You've just got to get the right balance in your life. 

Balance-schmalance

Balance
Noun

  • A state of equilibrium or equipose; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.
  • Something used to produce equilibrium, counterpoise.
  • Mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc. 



I don't know about you, but our life is anything but balanced.  I mean, just read the last bullet point: mental steadiness? Calm behavior? Have you been to our home?? Puh-leeze!

Why is our life unbalanced? Thanks for asking. We have two young boys (4 years and 18 months). 
Enough said.

But seriously, while my husband and I strive for some sort of harmony in our lives, it just rarely happens. Our boys are young. They need a lot. A LOT. Right now, in this season, our little boys get 80% of us, 10% goes to each other, and the remaining 10% goes to paying bills to keep the cable on, running errands, attempting sleep, attempting showers, attempting exercise, going to church, having a life outside our home...you get what I mean.

This is me
Sometimes this unbalanced life gets the best of me. I get overwhelmed at the chaos, at the unpredictable sleep routines (ahem, I'm talking about you 18 month old!), at the Hot Wheels strewn everywhere, the always dirty bathrooms, the exhaustion, the lack of daily showers (yes, I said it), the left shoulders of all my shirts becoming a napkin and tissue for the littlest one, the lack of one on one time spent with hubby, the lack of me time....I could go on.

HOWEVER...

This is NOT me
When I get to the point of being totally overwhelmed, my husband always reminds me that it's just a season. It's a HARD season, but it won't last forever. Before we know it, our oldest will be in in kindergarten (NO!), and our youngest will be potty trained (YES!). In his wise, gentle ways, he's reminding me that "the days are long, but the years are short." So true. He's so patient with me in my freak out moments!

We've given up on finding balance in our lives right now. It's not going to happen during this season (unless we hire a full time nanny). I've accepted it, which is so not me. (Control freak, anyone?) I'm slowly learning to embrace the chaos. To roll with it. Am I going to be able to roll with it with grace and ease? We shall see.  We shall see. 

Are you one of the rare gems that has achieved balance in your life? If so, please tell me how you do it!

4 comments :

  1. Sometimes I think I am balancing things well & then I get out of bed & it all goes to crap!! I should actually be in bed right now. My sleep is unbalanced right niw. Also our checkbook.

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  2. you are so right! It is really hard to find this 'balance' and I think our life with kids is a quest to achieve this 'never achievable' balance! You made some well thought out points and I see you referred to dictionary lol :)

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  3. I "strive" really hard for the elusive thing called balance. But sometimes, just getting through the day without going bald is an accomplishment. You do the best you can with what you have to get through the day. And then, if you lucky, you get a shower and a nice glass of wine.

    Penny at Green Moms and Kids

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  4. I believe "balance" is a mythological being. It's not real. People (snooty butts) made it up to make normal people feel bad about their life. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it ;)

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