Sweet awakening!!

I say "sweet" awakening

Because the awakening couldn't have come with more tenderness and innocence of spirit than it did. The messenger was an Earthly Angel; the means delivery, unknowingly crafted by my own hand.

Needless to say, I have been rather busy the last few months. It happens every year the same, Christmas comes and I get all wrapped up (no pun intended). After the Holidays, I spend a great deal of time playing catch up... and my Internet world gets lost in the shuffle. (This would obviously explain my lack of recent posts.)

Life has become a torrent of chores and activities.

Most of which, I love to do.

All of which I do for love,

or so it seemed until very recently.

Last week I was hit by a gentle wake up call; a love tap.

The tap Jolted me to the core, and have begun to wonder if I need to do a serious re-evaluation of my life's activities.

For the past 6 months, my children and I have been in the regular habit of sending each other letters. At the beginning of the year I put together a mailbox of sorts. I have enjoyed receiving notes, pictures, and scribbles of love from my children.

It is from this very source that my angel delivered her message.

A small tattered piece of paper peeked its little head from my mail slot.

I hurriedly reached to grab it, expecting to find the innocent musings of a child carefully scrawled on a piece of paper.

Only this note was something different.

Hastily scribbled, my daughter's thoughts lept from the paper in bright red marker.

"ALWAYS IN A HURRY" it said.

and there quite plainly was a picture of me with 8 arms and 8 legs, flailing my limbs erratically.

I was suddenly struck dumb and remained motionless in the center of my kitchen.

I could feel those horrendous octo-limbs paralyze in mid-air.

My thoughts ran ramped:

"Is this what my daughter sees?"

"Has my intent to create a peaceful and simple life failed?"

"But EVERYTHING I do, I do for her... for her brother... for my kids, RIGHT?!"

And then it began to make sense...

My body, my Soul has been calling out for peace and tranquility for a long time!

That cry from within... must be silently screaming from without... in my actions, in my moods, in my inability to devote every waking second to the emotional needs and wants of my children.

It is quite simple isn't it?

I can try my utmost to provide all of the opportunities and activities that my children desire...

but if it interrupts the peace, tranquility and rhythm of my home... I will now have to ask:

"IS IT WORTH IT?"

I will prayerfully consider all activities and events before deciding to do them.

I WILL listen to the gentle whispers of the Holy Spirit.

AND I will be an example of self-discipline and moderation.

"For everything there is a season..."

There is ONE thing I know for sure...

I never want my daughter to see me as that hideous octo-limbed mom again.

It was a picture of Gluttony personified.