It Gets Easier

Today I was remembering a time back in the day when I had an infant and a toddler at the same time. It was just the three of us.  Even then, I felt compelled to help out the community in some way.  I’ve had this desire to give back and I think it happened when I had children. Before them, I was selfish and all about me, me, me.  During this time we lived in some really rundown apartments. But it was the constant thought of “how can I help those doing worse than me?”  Because no matter how bad we have it, someone is always doing worse.

I remember a school supply fundraiser happening and I wanted to do something to help, anything really.  I signed up and was assigned to stand on a median with 3 others one Saturday morning (you have to have a permit to do this, by the way). I paid a friend to watch my children and began the exhausting day of gathering donations.  In the end, I realized that what I received was around what I paid for a babysitter.  A friend had watched my children and, even though she would have done it for free, I wanted pay her. 

"Because no matter how bad we have it, someone is always doing worse."

This might seem like common sense but I suspect there are other people out there like me. We want to help, we want to get involved but we also have small children. There were a couple of times where I was guilt-tripped into volunteering.  But I had to realize that it’s okay to say no; a time would come when they would be older and I could help then.  It’s okay to focus on just my kids.  They’re only little once. I could see if a volunteer opportunity came up where I could take my little ones, but that’s extremely rare.

There were other times where I solely wanted to talk to other adult. I ran into another mom who currently  has a similar situation as I once did. I assured her, it gets easier. I know its tiring doing everything for two little people, but they get older. In the meantime, enjoy it.  Before you know it, you’re sending them off to school.  And then if you volunteer for anything you can bring them with you! lol I’m glad I took a step back when they were little because now I’m so involved with their schools, our community, and signing up for so many other things that we are extremely busy.

Now it’s better because they can help out alongside me and I want to show them that we have to take care of each other in this world.  So if anyone reading this was in my shoes and you feel lonely and tired, I just want to say that it does get easier….. until they’re teenagers. ;)