I know that with this title I may get a whoop whoop from some, and I may catch flak from others. However, I am sure that we can all agree on one thing:  the struggle is real!  I know that I’m not the only one who has heard phrases like…balance is the key to life or with everything use balance, and so on and so on. But, what does balance really look like anyway? Is there really such a thing? As women we are always striving to be the best wives, moms, daughters, sisters, friends, and career women possible.  But let’s face it, who’s doing it all, and doing it all well?

I’ll let you in on a little secret.  Are you ready? THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A TRULY BALANCED LIFE. The reality is that balance looks different to different people, and it is not always 50-50. In my opinion, balance is simply giving my attention to multiple things, even if that attention isn’t always equally divided. And whatever moment of the day I find myself in, I am 100% present in that moment.  Disclaimer Alert: Please don’t think that I have mastered this.  I am a work in progress! I have simply decided that I am letting go of the pressures of trying to live this so called “perfectly balanced life.” I’ll give you a glimpse of what balance is like according to The Book of Cristian (as my husband would say) lol!

During the day when I am at work, I am 100% fully engaged and totally locked into being the best teacher that I can possibly be.  This may sound a bit harsh, but at that moment, my focus is not on being a great mother, a fantastic wife, or loving friend.  I am in teacher mode, and right then my attention is on shaping the little minds of our future.  Does that make me a bad mother, wife, or friend?  Absolutely not!  

In the evening, when I am spending time with my family, I have decided that I am going to be 100% fully engaged and totally locked into being the best mother and wife that I can possibly be.  I am helping with homework, cooking dinner, listening to stories, giving baths, and kissing boo boos. And when the kids go to bed (7:30-8:00 pm- side note, bedtimes are a parent’s best friend), I’m spending some QT with my wonderful husband Ronaldo.  In those moments, I am not focused on being a super teacher, daughter, or sister.  Does that make me a bad teacher, daughter, or sister? Nope, not at all!

I set aside time to spend time with my mother, share a phone call with my sister, go to lunch with a friend, and be a listening ear to the people of our church.

I could go on and on about how I fit it all in, but honestly some days I can and some days I can’t. The truth is that I am learning to make the most of every day, and be present in every moment.  To me that is true balance.