The Hamster Wheel

Ever have one of those days? I know I can't be the only one that spends the whole day running around, dropping off, picking up, frantically trying to check off the "To Do" list that never seems to get shorter. On days like these I just go into survival mode. Getting it all done, working out the logistics of how to get everyone where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there. And making sure everyone is picked up afterward, and not left behind.

One day it hit me that I'm like the hamster on the wheel. Running, running, running, but never getting anywhere. And then the million dollar question....

Does the hamster know he is on a wheel? Does he know he will never get to his destination? Or does he do if for the sheer joy of running? Has he learned the art of enjoying the journey?

Maybe the hamster has it right. I've never seen a hamster multitask. He runs. Or he eats. Or he sleeps. He does what he does while he does it. I've never seen a hamster nibble on a corn kernel while he runs to save time.

The fallacy is that we will catch up. That things will get done and stay done. That we will reach the destination.

I need to be like the hamster. I need to live in the moment. I need to enjoy the journey.

I have two awesome daughters. And the season of my life at this moment is to stay home and be their mom. That means volleyball games, play practice, play dates, birthday parties, orthodontist appointments, physical therapy appointments, meetings with teachers, and all the thousand things we do as moms. All the while trying to keep the house from looking like it was ransacked by burglars. And keeping a husband happy. And running a business. And carving some time for myself.

But it is an awesome journey, and as much as I may complain, I really wouldn't trade it for the world.