You know those moments where you are questioning or hesitating on something and get a little sign from God nudging you in the right direction? It doesn’t always happen – or maybe it’s that we don’t always recognize the signs. I just had one of those moments. Not some big life-altering decision or situation by any means. Something small and sort of silly to be honest. But I am pausing to listen to this sign to help make my decision.
Every year as the first day of school approaches I tell myself I am going to take the day off from work. I tell myself I am finally going to attend the mimosa party that fellow school moms host as a celebration of the kids being back in session. I envision a day of chilling out a bit to mentally prepare for the exciting chaos that the school year will bring.
I never do it.
I end up feeling guilty about taking a day off from work and not being with my kids. At most, I will take a couple of hours of leave so I can spend the morning with them but then it’s straight into work I go. Even though I work hard and PTO is a benefit that I earn, I usually decide it’s a waste to take a full day when I don’t have any “real” plans.
Until this year. Until I got a little sign.
The sign was a blog called Give Yourself a Day found right here on allmomdoes. As I read it, I knew this was nudging me to actually take a day and spend it however I please – guilt free.
This first day of school feels like a long time coming considering the past 18 months of school closures. As I mentally count down the days, I pray there will be no sudden changes and that my kids really will be in school 5 days a week. Something that has not occurred since March of 2020.
My day might not be full of rest and relaxation. But it will be a day where I am free to say yes to a celebratory mimosa, to say no to work emails, to perhaps to pull out my autumn decorations in the comfort of a quiet house. I already know the six and a half hours will fly by. But I am making the decision to say “no” to the guilt of a (mostly) kid free day of PTO and “yes” to whatever the day ends up holding for me.
