Sanity Savers

Have you ever had so many words in your head you felt your brain would burst?

Last week I attended a Catholic Writers’ Conference in New Jersey. This “mom” interacted with total strangers all week long – such lovely memorable strangers. And all she wanted to do was write about her new experiences.

However, I drove home to my messy house with zero food that four men, called sons, occupied during said week. My first challenge: So-help-me-God, I was not washing one dish! And I haven’t; they have. It took the dear darlings two days of unconcentrated effort, but I didn’t cave. Score a very small victory for mom.

I’m lucky enough to visit my parents, ages 89 and 90, twice a week in their home. Every day they are able to remain in their own house is a blessing, so I shop and I help. Ours were not the only Mother Hubbard cupboards; two – count ‘em two – large grocery store trips punctuated my yesterday.

Second challenge: arrived home to no electricity. How special! And last night all I wanted to do was write, not buy many bags of ice, and borrow a generator. But as any mom writer feels resoundingly in her core, we cannot always write when we want to write. We steal our moments. We juggle. We make do.

Arriving home from Mass and Bible Study this morning, I faced the third challenge: How not to blow my top as one son was still asleep near noon and another was watching a movie. Movie son had straightened a bit, but only a bit. We had THE TALK again. They are working; I am writing…as God intended. I hear the melodious strains of the weed whip as I write – better than any celestial choir.

Moms’ lives are certainly fraught with endless challenges, but mom writers can write about them, and learn a little something from other moms along the way. I’m convinced we keep each other sane. Thank you for your part this day!

More tomorrow…

~ Maureen :)