First Things First

The other morning, I had a bazillion things to do. Not only that, but everything had gotten off on the wrong foot--contractors not showing up when they were supposed to, annoying calls from Wal-Mart about a very simple online transaction gone very wrong. I'd already had two snippy phone conversations with Dean (I know, I'm sure it's very hard to imagine me getting snippy with anyone--ever--but it really did happen). In my head, I kept juggling the things I needed to do and trying to figure out how to make those things jive with the only thing I really *wanted* to do, which was to go for a run. In the end, after much deliberation and a lot of time wasted trying to make up my mind, I popped Sadie into the jogging stroller and went for a "quick" run, which turned into a very nice three-miler on a very beautiful day. Most of the stuff on my agenda got done anyway (though I never did get around to changing Sadie's sheets). But it was a busy enough day that by afternoon, I realized that if I had put running last (like I usually do), I'd never have gotten a run in that day. Okay, so this isn't exactly earth-shattering stuff. And yet, after a weekend like the one we just had (post to come soon), where everything was pretty much perfect, I really realize how unbalanced my "everyday" is. And while life is obviously never going to be as easy as vacation is (even a very short vacation!), there has got to be some way to make things a little less hectic. Or not. But what I realized by putting running first (which is also not very earth-shattering but still revealing nonetheless) is that no one around here is going to notice that Sadie's sheets haven't been changed in a week (or two). However, I can pretty much guarantee that everyone around here will notice if Mommy is cranky, which is what almost always happens when I don't get to run as often as I'd like. It sounds crazy maybe, but it's the truth. Come visit after I've gone a whole week without running and see what you think.

When you are a working mom, it is so hard to do anything for yourself without feeling selfish. Which is why running ends up on the chopping block more often than not lately. How can I justify going for a run when there's laundry to do and homework to help with and dinner to make? But we all know the saying: If Mama isn't happy, then no one is happy. Wiser words were never spoken. And I had a very interesting realization the other day when someone mentioned burning calories in conjunction with running. I was momentarily surprised that I don't even equate the two any more. I don't think about going for a run in terms of losing those five (or ten, but whose counting?) extra pounds or about cardiovascular fitness or any of the rest of it. It's more like, go for a run, retain sanity for another day. And in that case, changing those sheets can probably wait, right?