Using All My Lifelines
I often feel outnumbered as a parent with four children at different stages of maturity. Sometimes I amusingly picture myself barely hanging onto a life raft, a child dangling on each arm and one slung on my back, while my husband tosses me a fourth child from the sinking Titanic ship of life. This was one of those mornings when I needed to summon all of my 'lifelines' to gain courage as a parent, rather than succumb to the icebergs of parenthood. No stranger to my circus, I've learned through the years that in order to maintain my balance, I need to take care of myself, or risk drowning amidst the raging waves of children's hormones. Setting off on a run this morning to gather my parenting thoughts and positive endorphins, I was looking for any sign of encouragement, Pandora tunes energizing my stride. Always cautious of my surroundings, I noticed an older gentleman approaching me from ahead, the path rather empty otherwise. An enthusiastic "Good Morning!" ...