Month End Reflection

How quickly time passes!  It seems like a couple days ago that I was registering my son at his new school and preparing for fall classes at the college and our homeschool, and yet a whole month has passed!  September is a harried month for me.  I get wrapped up in the "Back to School" excitement and feel as though I'm spinning in circles to accomplish the tasks that need doing.  The days are getting shorter, and I am mindful that I need light and exercise to not slip into depression in late October and early November.  The challenge is that it is dark so much of the day, and on days like today, rainy weather accents the gloom and darkness.

Elizabeth and I have been training for a half marathon which is now just two weeks away.  I am so excited to share that experience with my daughter.  We have had some struggles with completing every run on our training schedule (because of the family schedule) the past few weeks; however, we seem to be well-conditioned and ready to tackle 13.1 miles!  Since our training schedule is drawing to a close, I will need a new plan for the coming months so I keep exercising.  We never finished our workout area in the basement, so after the race will be a great time to finish that project and establish an indoor workout space for the long winter months ahead.

My oldest will be confirmed at the end of October, so the next month will be just as busy as September has been.  In the midst of sports, music lessons, and school, we are preparing for my grandmother, mom, and dad to visit.  I want them to be comfortable and for the house to be clean and welcoming.  However, I don't want to become a basket case trying to make things perfect when perfection is not a realistic goal.  I have a tendency to get a little nutty before trips and events.  I'm praying for a peaceful disposition and the discipline to continue with the decluttering and cleaning I started in July, taking a small space at a time. The FlyLady daily messages have focused on preparing now for the holidays by decluttering and working on small spots each day.  I haven't listened. However, I have decided to "jump in where I am" and take care of two hot spots today--the kitchen counter and the pile of books and papers on the floor next to my desk.  I know that clean surfaces make me feel more peaceful.  And though our family members don't admit it (they seem oblivious to the clutter), they are more peaceful when our home is tidy and mom is calm.

I thought about starting Monday with my cleaning and new attitude since it will be a new month. Silliness!  That's procrastination, the thing that's gotten me into most of my current stress and messes. I will begin today, fifteen minutes at a time, making changes and working to become the woman God wants me to be.