Thank God for George Williams.

I have been a SAHM for 10 years now-an entire decade. Over the last 10 years I must admit/confess my breaks, down time, me time , decompression time, whatever you want to call it has never been consistent. I can't stress enough to mothers at home how very important it is to find some kind of refreshment. It's hard to pour out your life from an empty pitcher.

Some women get manicures every 2 weeks, go to the hair salon on the regular, have girl's night out once a week, go on mini vacay's with their girlfriends, join a book club, take a class, pray, nap.. but they do something for sanity, refreshment, a little break, a little regroup time so that they may be recharged to give back to those they love them most.

Let me tell you what happens when that is absent. The mother is a crab, she is unhappy, she is angry and depressed. She is wilted and in desperate need of water but the demands of life offer nothing to quench her thirst and her life rapidly becomes dehydrated. Despite her need to be re hydrated life keeps sucking her dry. I can always tell when I am not balanced. I can always tell when my spirit is dry. Over the years, I have learned that #1 People will take from you far more than they give back, #2 No one cares whether or not you are refreshed. #3 No one cares about how much you may or may not need a break- unless they are invested in you and they are concerned about your growth as a mother or woman. #4 Kids need a mother not a martyr who sacrifices for every one at the cost of her health, spiritual, mental and emotional being. #5 Kids don't need a martyr who is constantly on the altar of self denial in order to please those around her and it is clear that no one sacrifices themselves for her well being or happiness and thus she withers.

So, this year-this school year I am once again presented with the opportunity to engage in new relationships, cultivate some old and build up my Relaxation Stations in which I can recharge who I am. Which brings me to what I am thankful for today. A man named George Williams. A man who had no clue that I would, many years later after his death utilize what he planted, what he created from a need that arose in his own life. Because he created a space for men of his generation to pray and reflect and to enjoy athletics, it has afforded me the opportunity to decompress, connect, laugh, get energized and focus on my goals all the while having someone care for my children. I am so thankful for this outlet and the man who saw his vision come to past. A man who had no idea that in 2010 a stay at home diva like myself would be participating in programs in an organization he founded so many years ago. George Williams my friends, was the founder of the YMCA. Seek out your places of peace and solitude today.