Today I was asked for a compilation of all my volunteer work I’ve done throughout the year. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I really dedicated 2011 to ‘ME’. Now hold on to your flapping jaws for a minute before everyone goes nuts on this. What I mean is, I still took care of others and I was still a loving wife and mother, but I made sure to start working on myself a bit more. To accomplish those goals I’d put off for so long due to deployment or children or what-have-you.
I started to feel guilty as I relayed the handful of things I’ve done for others this year because, compared to past years, it’s a miserable amount. But the truth is, I got so involved in being a volunteer for things, that I lost track of who I was! I dove face-first into my husband’s unit and FRG, into my children’s school functions, into their extracurriculars, that at the end of the day, I was just a lost soul with no real direction besides what my household engaged in.
Once I realized I felt guilty, I quickly corrected myself. There should be no guilt and no shame in putting yourself first! How can you possibly care for others if you aren’t 100%? It is not selfish to work on your own personal goals, so long as you aren’t putting everyone else on the backburner. Granted, it has been a trying year trying to juggle myself into an already crazy life. However, it’s been worth it beyond words. I’m not just a mother and a wife anymore. I’m a writer. I’m a student. I’m a crafter. I own my own business. And at the end of the day, I’m CONTENT. And that’s what life is really all about, isn’t it? Happiness, fulfillment and contentment. I have all of those things now just because I chose to include myself into the mix. Try it, I think you’ll like it!