Well, the stress level has reached a new high. Our domestic life is a well-oiled machine that comes to a screeching halt when the unexpected happens. My husband's back injury is a prime example. I am now a part of the walking-zombie-student-sleep-deprived-church-mommys (or maybe I'm the only one). I am running on 5 to 6 hours of sleep per night -- which isn't too bad in and of itself, if you do it just a few times, but I have now done it for 3 weeks. The Train is now derailed.
I could give a big list of smaller disasters:
the hot-water heater is leaking
my house key broke off in the lock
I erased my latest paper accidentally
I think I have strep
The cat has pe'ed on the stove
My left tail light is burnt out
The garbage is overflowing
We have no clean laundry
The kids ate the Peanut Butter with spoons in one sitting
A hair clip has been flushed and the toilet overflowed
The ice cream was left out overnight
We haven't been to karate in 2 weeks
and so on and so on,
I could go on with this list, but I'm just too tired.
This was not a good time for a severe back injury (as if there is a good time....) I have too much work to do. I need to write more dramas for the next 4 Sundays, the Maundy Thursday service, an ordination sermon, two exegesis papers, two other sermons for class, to enumerate a few academic things. Staff meeting in the morning, squabbles about the email prayer chain, Friday night Film Fest at church; Girl Scout cookie booth sales to set up, Room Mother stuff to do, as the Mommy
But what I am dreading the most:
Ordination papers due and meeting with the Board of Ordained Ministry on March 19th.
However, the train is not going to pull into any of these stations, because the train is derailed.
And, by the way, for those of you without children -- herding cats is easier than getting kids to do chores and homework. Trust me on this.
6 comments:
Oh Rev
How I wish that I could come to your aid and give you some support.
No fast trains to get me there!
If a word or prayer from another lost soul can help, I'll do my bestest.
Take Care
Michael
It is so true - when it rains, it pours! I am so sorry that you are under so much stress right now. Hang in there!
From a sympathetic fellow cat-herder!
(((hugs)))
Only have one cat, er kid, but still, I just emerged from a week like that, and am now in a week about 65% like that. Although argh! all those logistical snafus--hate 'em. I don't know if you feel this, but for me, I am extremely busy and I like it that way, but the problem is, there is no buffer. I realize this when someone gets sick or something breaks. There is no buffer zone to allow for that without everything coming off the rails, as you say. A problem among minister-moms, but surely not unique to us.
Please don't give up. The world needs a minister like you.
I'll say a little prayer for you tonight.
One thing at a time, that's all we can do, although you wouldn't know it from my manic attempts at multi-tasking. Kids don't really mind dirty clothes all that much, and by the time they do, they're old enough to learn to use the washing machine! (Okay, and wash their cellphones, too, but that's my problem, not yours.)
You are in my prayers.
Oh, I am right there in your world, sister. I didn't break a key in the lock, but I did manage to set off the burglar alarm at my field ed parish, while the rector was gone to the bank-- and had no idea how to turn it off. Oy. Thank God he got back before the police arrived.
You have both my prayers and my sympathy.
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