I’d like to tell you two short stories. This first one begins at 7:06am and it features a mommy who is sleeping comfortably. Light is shining through her window, she has a pillow over her ears and down the hall, two little kids have just woken up. One of those kids is giggling, while jumping on the bunk bed and another is opening and closing drawers, while pulling all sorts of clothes out. He’s trying to decide which outfit would most help him resemble Luke Skywalker and clothes are flying everywhere in the process.
Moments later, Luke Skywalker and Jumping Girl, are standing next to the Mommy with the pillow over her head. ‘Mommy! Mommy! I’m hungry! What’s for breakfast?’ The Mom invites them to snuggle in for a moment and they climb in, but don’t hold still. Sleepy-head Mommy looks at the clock, gets out of bed and turns on the TV, while pouring coffee. She tells the kids that she’s just trying to wake up and she can’t be talked to for awhile. ‘Watch your show and I’ll make breakfast soon.’
Sleepy-Mommy has now become Rushed-Mommy. She realizes that again, there’s no time for a shower and in her head, she’s resentful that Motherhood seems to come with a lot less time to care for yourself.
Before the day has even begun, she is tired and defeated.
Kids are rushed to eat quickly and she’s rushed to get ready fast. She grabs bags, grabs kids, feeds dog, feeds chickens and is off for the day. She feels behind and she knows that if she would have gotten up earlier, all of this would have been prevented.
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This second story starts at 5:30am, when the alarm goes off. With maybe only 6 or 7 hours of sleep, this Mommy pulls herself from bed and is greeted with a quiet house. She tiptoes out to the kitchen, grabs a cup of strong coffee and sits down with her Bible and journal. In her journal, she writes what she’s thankful for and on most days, she can’t help but write how thankful she is for quiet mornings. She needs this quiet time to get fueled up before the day begins.
After her quiet time, she gets on the treadmill and does a quick workout. As she sweats, she imagines what the day will look like. She has a plan and she feels prepared.
She showers and doesn’t take a long time getting ready, but it’s enough to feel like she isn’t completely losing herself in Motherhood.
When 7am rolls around, she’s in the kitchen, making breakfast. Her kids come out of their room, she hugs them and helps them get ready for the day.
There is no TV on before school and they leave the house peacefully and on time.
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This week on All Mom Does, we’re sharing what refreshes us as Moms. I know it might sound strange, but for me, one of my biggest keys to successful days, where I feel refreshed and energized is an early morning. Friends, those stories are my life.
I know that as a Mom, I set the tone for our days and if I start the day feeling behind, the rest of the day follows suit. However, if I start the day early (with coffee!) and I get my exercise and quiet time in, the rest of our day is almost guaranteed to go smoothly.
My mornings should include time with God, time for movement, time for planning and time for gratitude. Early mornings are where I find my refreshment as a Mom.
