Fundamentals

There are days as a parent that you feel really, really good. You know that, although there may have been a few stray balls, most of them were solidly hit into the outfield and you safely made it onto base. You might have even been lucky enough to hit one out of the park and, not only have made a wise parenting choice, but also have been quite popular with the kids. At the same time. Okay, so that almost never happens to me, but a girl can dream.

Lately, though, I feel like I'm in a huge parenting slump. I can't seem to make contact with the ball, I'm making errors left and right and even the die hard fans are starting to boo every time I come up to bat (yes, I have a cheering section in my head. Work with me.). It's so hard to break out of the parenting slump. 'Cause once your there, you constantly second guess every parenting decision you make. And every effort seems twice as hard and doomed to failure. Which means it usually is. And the cycle just seems to continue and spiral out of control.

Life has thrown our family a number of curve balls this spring which have really left me feeling weary and defeated. And it's easy to stay right here in this place feeling sorry for myself and revelling in the big giant pity party. But I can't. Because this isn't just a game, this is life, and it's serious business. And my kids need me to work my way out of the slump. And there's only one way that I know how to do that. Just like baseball players when they're in a slump, you have to go back to basics. Focus on the fundamentals. I have to remember that if I'm not taking care of myself, spiritually and physically, then I won't be able to take care of them. So I have to make those two things a priority. If I'm not learning from THE master parent, the source of all wisdom and love, then I'm not going to have the wisdom and love that I need. And if I'm tired, physically and emotionally drained, then I won't be able to pour energy into them.

I also have to have the long-term perspective that parenting is more a marathon than a sprint. I didn't get into this slump overnight and I won't get out of it overnight. It will take hard work. Consistent work. And it will have to be something that takes priority in my life -- feeding my soul and body -- so that I can get back into the game. These are critical years with my oldest, especially. I see that our relationship is struggling, too, and that I need to go back the fundamentals with her: unconditional love, firm boundaries, and time spent in abundant hugs and encouragement. There's a reason fundamentals are so important. They're what allows any player to be great. And I'm not willing to settle for mediocre when it comes to my kids. I've got a lot to learn and a lot of growing to do, but I know the hard work will be worth it. Because my kids are worth it.