For many people, this time of year marks the beginning of school. Our household has a slightly different schedule this year: our oldest has been at college for approximately three weeks now, his youngest sibling has settled into his school routine which started at the same time, and our middle child began last week.
Working from home, back to school is always an adjustment. I go from a noisy (chaotic in a good way) summer household to quiet. Too quiet.
I usually take the month of September to adjust to the quiet and settling into a different routine of pick up and drop off, after school activities, and other things that vie for my attention.
However, the last few years I’ve changed that mindset to one of celebration. No, I’m not celebrating that our kids are back in school and I have a quiet house (I truly LOVE having my kids and husband home whenever possible), but I’ve grown to realize I’ve made as many friends as my kids have, and back to school means time to reconnect with them.
Whether it’s my kids’ teachers, the parents of my kids’ friends or my own friends, it’s nice to reconnect. One particular friend and I decided last year to take time during the week to get healthy. After dropping the kids off, we would walk the school track for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, filling ourselves emotionally while fueling ourselves physically for the day. It was something we both looked forward to and we even braved the cold, snowy weather in the winter to keep it up (on most days, anyway).
This year it will look a little different because we have different schedules, so we are choosing to reward ourselves at the end of the day instead, walking while we wait for our kids to finish their day, refreshing before greeting our families and beginning the evening routines.
What about you? Do you have a friend (or two) you can meet with regularly that helps you stay physically fit and emotionally healthy? Or maybe just someone who offers encouragement and prayer support?
We all need someone to share life with. I want to encourage you today to find your special someone and start to do life together – whether every day, once a week or even once a month. I think your family will thank you for that investment.
© Cheri Swalwell 2019