Stop the guilt

I was catching up on my blog reading – I highly recommend a “reader” like Google Reader, by the way. A reader allows you to subscribe to all your favorite blogs in one place – and you get updates from each to read at your leisure instead of having to find and check each blog individually. Way cool. … Okay, enough tech talk. So I was catching up on my blog reading and found this great post over at Feedin Mama. Feedin Mama is a wonderful blog about life and elders and the reality of ageing and ageing with dignity. (disclosure: she's also a good friend of mine!) Anyway, she does a great job in this post reminding us that, no matter the situation we find ourselves in, we need and must care for ourselves. How often in your daily living do you do all that needs to be done to take care of others – and give yourself whatever time or energy is left over afterwards, if you give yourself anything at all? I know I can easily slide into this place. I think many of us, especially women (sorry guys), were raised to believe that our primary role was to take care of others and if we put ourselves first we were being selfish… But, as Feedin Mama points out, if we don’t care for ourselves first, then we will be incapable of caring for others. “slam the door on anything that resembles a guilt trip. Do not get on that train.” – good reminder. Guilt is self-induced – we have to choose to feel guilty, just like we choose what is on our “should do” list. Life is joy. So do what you can, do what you feel you must, and then move on… and celebrate all you have done, and celebrate all that you are - for you are a precious child of God, and in that is where joy finds its foundation. Blessings and peace.