Hey, Monday!

  You're here again, what's there to say but welcome, come on in, kick your feet up for a while and enjoy the offerings of a new day.

  In a way Monday's are a breath of fresh air to me.  The weekend is always a bit too busy and social for my liking, and as we race from one place to the next it's often hard to find the time to recharge myself.  Enter just in time - Monday morning.

   The hours before the bus are always frantic, but the moment the door swings shut and the stop sign and bar arm are pulled back and the bus continues down the road, I sigh heavily and take a moment to myself.

   What does the week hold?  I don't look.  Where do I need to be, what do I need to do, who needs this, that, or the next thing?  I wipe it temporarily from my compartmentalized mind.

   Though my coffee has long gone cold, and I have a long list of To Do's, I allow myself a small window where I force myself to remember I'm more than mom, I'm more than chauffeur, I'm more than laundry queen, chef extraordinaire, housekeeper, special teams, gracious hostess, and peace keeper.  (That doesn't even touch on the needs of my husband!)

  I guess what I'm trying to say is I matter.  Me - Jodie.  So I'll take a few minutes to remember me, my goals, desires, longings, gifts, purposes, and aspirations.  I'll tend to Jodie for a few minutes.  I've learned I need that time to be excel and be efficient at all my other tasks.  So I won't apologize for taking that time.  No one wants to be around a miserable woman....right?!

   So here's what I'm going to do.  I'm going to hit publish on this little page, (though this wasn't written Monday morning), I'm going to throw on some clothes and go for a run to clear my head.  I'm going to look around and be thankful for a fresh canopy of snow that sparkles in the sun's light.  I'm going to inhale a harshly cold breath of air and be cleansed from the inside out.  I'm going to sweat the past out of me and start this day new. (Or because it's viciously cold out this morning, I'll hop on the treadmill and be thankful I'm warm and have this handy machine!)

   And when I've done that I'll be ready to take on another week, another hectic schedule, and everything else the week can throw at me.

   Taking care of yourself doesn't have to look the way it does for me.  Maybe all you need is a cup of tea, a friendly smile, a hot bath, or the encouraging glance from the co-worker in the cubicle next to you.

   I guess this is my way of saying small things are important in the big picture.  You are important.  Take care of yourself - not in the big ways that cause more stress, but in the small spots where the greatest difference rests.

   Have that cup of tea.  Claim that song, verse, or encouragement as your day's mantra and sing like the world needs to hear you!  Dance with your arms flailing, run like the wind, throw your entire being into what it is that you do!  

   Simple things can help you be a better you!

   Enjoy this beautiful, (and terribly cold) Monday!