Comfort for a Tired Mama’s Soul

I’ve been working (or should I say, “rockin’?”) my mama muscles pretty hard over the past month or so.  Attending back to school nights, taking my boy and girl to multiple doctors’ check-ups before and after school, taming my girl’s after school meltdowns over homework, troubleshooting my boy’s renewed obsessive compulsive want/need to go to the bathroom at least 3-4 times every waking hour, and wondering how it can be 9 o’clock in the morning one moment and 4 o’clock in the afternoon in just the blink of an eye.  Throw a week of house renovations into the mix and you have one tired mama.  Don’t get me wrong, I am super pleased with the facelift our house received with its new Hardiplank siding and cheery red front door; however, when you dash for the bathroom on the side of the house where you think you’re safe from public viewing only to hear someone calling your name (Senorita?) from the front door, it certainly does not make your home a haven amidst the hammering and Mexican music.That said, renovations are now complete and I am still breathing.  I think my mama muscles may have a chance to relax for a little while, at least.  I have learned that life is just like this sometimes.  The crazy intense marathons balanced with a brief victory before the next marathon begins.  And while I try my best to refuel during the calm times, I am also learning how to nurture my spirit even when I think I don’t have the time.  Several weeks ago, I joined a group of beautiful women across the country for an online course offered through the Brave Girls Club called Soul Comfort.  Here, we are learning ways to comfort our souls on a regular basis through art journaling from a variety of prompts and stitching inspirational words and images on small pieces of fabric, soul patches!  I have to admit, I felt a little overwhelmed, at first, trying to gather all my supplies and have it fit inside one portable tote bag, but once I did my gathering, I realized this comfort bag is going to be my ticket to sanity during the weeks such as the one from which I recently emerged.  I have toted my bag with me to Starbucks in between errands, to the basement during family movie time, and to the couch alongside my husband while he watches the football game.  Because everything is all in this one bag, I don’t have to think about what I need.  All I have to do is open a journal or thread a needle.  I am learning that 15-20 minutes of soul comfort can go a long ways, especially when I am unable to fit-in large blocks of art time with messy supplies.For an “all or nothing” type girl like me, accepting that a little bit of comfort each day is better than none at all is one step towards living a more balanced life.  As we enter the holiday months ahead, I am challenging myself to validate and practice my soul comfort, even when I feel I don’t have the time.  How about you?  How do you bring comfort to your soul?

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