The Secret in the Parent

    Shhhhhhh....I have to tell you a secret.  Are you ready?  Parents have secret lives.  They have interests that lie beyond their children.  I want to keep it a secret though, okay?  Kids clearly have no idea about this simple fact.  I know did not.  I dont mention things I do or dont do when my daughter is not around, unless it has something to do with her.  It seems to throw her off.  But the truth of the matter is that we do have our own interests and our own lives outside our precious darlings.  Movies, music, books (I love books), people, friends, outings and adventures that we are excited about doing child free.  Now, please don't misunderstand.  I love my girl more than words can express.  My life would not be the same without her.  She is my heart walking around.  BUT...and this is a big but I do enjoy things that without her.  It is a thrill I never knew I would be excited about to turn on what ever music I want and listen as loud or soft as I want when she is not in the car.  A trip to the grocery store solo is like a vacation.  Yet today I discovered something.  I feel like I have lost part of myself recently. 
    Today my sweet girl was in school, and since she has so few days left, I decided to take kind of a me day.  Just do whatever I needed/wanted to do.  I dropped her off and came home and did my workout and second shower of the day.  It was still early.  I realized that I at some point forgot how to stop moving.  I used to just push things aside relax watch TV, read a book, just be silent.  I actually stopped and realized that I had not done that in so long that I actually didn't think I could.  Well, I was fairly right.  I grabbed my kindle and read 2 chapters of a book by my favorite author.  2 chapters in and I was starving.  So I made lunch (now this is a treat no one tells you about...eating lunch by myself is a joyous thing).  I ate my yummy lunch.  Then what?!?  Well I did what comes naturally...I cleaned out my pantry.  WHAT?!?!?!?!?  I actually surprised my self with this one.  But I got started and could not stop.  When I was done, I forced my self to keep reading, in which I got really into it.  Then I had to get ready to go pick sweet girl up.  I thought about my time to myself and how much it had changed.  I will try again another day before school is done.  Relaxing and time for yourself is essential to a mom.  But apparently I have not applied that to me.  I pray I can work on that because I know it helps me be a better parent, friend, spouse, daughter, person, etc.  The bible says "Be Still and Know that I am God".  I need to work on the "Be Still" part.  What do you do for me time and relaxing??
Whitney