I have spoken about my favorite Bible verse before, Ecclesiastes 3:1. It states, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” As a mother, I have taken this even more to heart with the understanding that there are many seasons to our lives, both in an overarching and more finite way. I am in a season of being a parent to a young child, but even within that I am in a new season of re-defining our family dynamics after adding a puppy into the mix. Our seasons of life are ever changing, and I can confidently say that this particular season has been draining - exhausting to the point that I am composing this post under twenty-four hours before it goes out with the clarity that, for now, I need to drop the ball.
I was given a book after my daughter was born titled Drop the Ball. It is a confident look at the positive outcomes of not doing it all, and “dropping the ball”… on purpose. So as this new season of my life unfolds, I will, for now, take the insight of that book and will be dropping the ball on weekly blogging. I will still write…when I can, and post…when I can, with the hope of settling in and picking this beautiful ball back up again. I will breathe, recollect myself, drop more balls, and only pick back up the ones that serve myself and my family in a positive way.
I encourage anyone else who's feeling as overwhelmed as myself to do the same without any guilt. With just a few weeks left of the Lenten season, where we are tasked with giving up (or taking on) something to better one's life and become more connected with God and those around us, I finally figured out what I am “giving up.” There is a mental list that I am going to put into action over the next few months of shedding what no longer serves me. Writing is not one of them, but it is something to which I can not connect until the weight of other things are put down. I hope to write again soon with a lighter spirit and renewed purpose.
Until then, I will just continue to overthink everything, including the existence of God’s navel.
Third wave feminism has pushed three myths or falsehoods about family and women by and large.
The myth of the "super women". That one can or must aspire to endless multitasking and mastery of both career and domestic life. Baby in one hand, cell phone making deals in the other. Bring home the bacon, fire it up in a pan.
The myth that personal fulfillment and happiness can be found in a career or profession. That marriage, children, men are a best a distraction, worse a wall to your personal happiness. Which has come to be defined as money, power, corporate title or size of bank account.
That you can, "live your own truth". That objective truth or reality is false and dangerous. You define your own ultimate reality. That personal peace, happiness, joy, fulfillment is found internal to yourself not in external or objective reality. So hence we are drawn to the general toxicity of social media and other platforms that leave the user more depressed, more angry, more isolated, more less trusting of others. In essence in need of endless therapy, talk and medications, self or proscribed, to make sense of themselves and their world In this world spouse, children, pets, etc either are helpful or harmful to your personal journey or progress to your ideal state, however you define that.
Is it any wonder so many younger folks now are simply exhausted, burnt, spent, tired of the grind, tied of the stress of keeping all balls in the air all the time and smiling though it all. Covid, lockdowns, social distance, only put these trends on steroids. My great grandmother Kelso had 10 kids between the ages of 15 and 41. She buried 7 before their 5th birthday. Her only surviving daughter, became by grandmother. On her tombstone at Oak Springs Cemetery in Canonsburgh Pa are the words, "to God be the glory". She found her peace in her sustaining faith, a lesson for all I think