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Mothering
Me: The Secret to Stopping Time
for Busy Moms
By Kelly Nault, MA
As I rush to make my massage appointment I reprimand myself for not allowing enough time to get there. Even in my hurriedness I see the irony in being stressed out while attempting to make my relaxing massage appointment.
Doubt creeps into my mind.
Is it even worth the hassle
to take time out for me?
The scent of lavender that wafts through my nose as I enter Le Petit Spa is all I need to begin to remove my doubt. I am in the right place. Here I find an oasis for busy moms and moms-to-be. The process of de-stressing occurs as I slip on my spa robe and slippers. Suddenly, my only big decision is, water with lemon, or water with cucumber.
As I sit in the candle lit relaxation room I wonder, "Now why don't I do this more often?" My masseur Andrew enters the room and my heart momentarily stops as I silently make a note to myself to consider requesting a (female) masseuse when I am looking like a baby beluga at seven and a half months pregnant!
Yes, being a parenting educator and counselor does not exclude even me from the impact of the female ego.
Yet, Andrew’s warmth and professional approach puts me at ease and he soon has me forgetting all about the extra twenty-six pounds of baby weight he will soon massage. The only request he makes of me is to breathe. So I inhale and exhale and hear my husband’s corny joke inside my head ("Denial is more than a river in Egypt") as I realize that my body is more stressed and tense than I thought.
Half an hour into the massage and time seems to have stopped. The mental popup boxes of endless to-do items that usually bombard my mind vanished and I drifted away.
The massage is over far too soon.
In an attempt to take this oasis experience home with me I purchased some lavender bath salts and decided to start taking candlelit baths again.
Later, I walked through my front door carrying a timeless peacefulness. The mountain of papers on my desk, the heaps of laundry and the emails left unanswered no longer filled me with the same overwhelm they did earlier that morning.
Again I am reminded that lately I have not taken to heart the self care advice I so often give mothers. Smiling I read my own wisdom:
“Being a good mother means making and taking the time to mother yourself so you can mother them well.”
Ed. If you are pregnant, consult your doctor regarding a massage.
Kelly Nault, MA award winning author of When You’re About To Go Off The Deep End, Don’t Take Your Kids With You inspires moms to put themselves first—for the sake of their children. She shares time-tested tools that motivate children to want to be well behaved, responsible and happy at Ultimateparenting.com. You can view her book here»»
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