Being a hands-on mom involves sacrifice. Instead of playing on the computer at sunrise and putting the finishing touches on Chapter 10 of the novel, I need to fix my kids breakfast and spend time with them at the table. Instead of traveling this way and that to promote my first book, I need to be present at the kids’ parent-teacher conferences, fun fairs, and homeroom parties.
To some moms, being attentive isn’t a sacrifice at all. It’s what they do naturally and consistently. For me, it can sometimes be a struggle. I love and appreciate my children. I want to be with them at the breakfast table, take them to school, pick them up, and pray with them at bedtime. My favorite moments in life are spent with my children.
But there is also this restless energy inside me that asks me to do more. More writing. More speaking . More book promotion. More social media networking. More of making a mark outside of my home.
So I struggle with fulfilling the responsibilities of an attentive mom with the pent-up energy of creative pursuits. How do I finish writing my novel without sacrificing an important moment with my kids? How do I travel to speaking and writing events without neglecting one of their school events?
Right now, I am in limbo with how to move forward. Should I jump in full-force as a mom and put creative interests on hold? Should I carve out time to do both, forgiving myself for not giving one-hundred percent to either one?
I love my children, and I love being creative outside of the mother realm.
So I must forgive myself for the less-than-perfect outcome of Chapter 10.
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