Just. Be. Enough.

A friend of mine has started a new website to,

"carry the weight of empowerment instead of the weight of our flaws on our shoulders"

I want to share. I mostly want to share because for every 20 posts that bloggers link up here, Bellflower Books will donate a memory book through Crickett's Answer to a woman fighting breast cancer.

But I want to share because lately I've been trying REALLY REALLY hard to simply accept that I can't do everything.

I've been trying to be a good community member for my DC Moms friends but all I can come up with is a few minutes a week to browse the email digest and post things like, "I suck." to the group. Why do I feel like I suck? Because I simply can't offer people a lot of support right now. I'm struggling to keep up with the bare minimum in my own life.

I want to give more.

I want to give more to my online community, to the school, to my husband, my kids, my mom....

But right now, I can't.

And somehow, I have to be ok with that.

Whether anyone else is or not.

That's my reality.

I have to believe my worth is not measured in how much of myself I give to others. Because I can't give much, until I've taken care of myself.

It's like the oxygen mask on the airplane. First you put your mask on, then you put the mask on the child.

It's all I can offer right now.

And it's enough.

For more really cool posts visit Just. Be. Enough.

What I Learned at My Annual Physical

Every year I learn something new when I have my annual physical. Usually it's health-related, but sometimes it's just the experience of going to the doctor's office, getting blood drawn, and people watching in the waiting room.

This is what I learned this year during my annual physical:

I need an e-reader

I love to read and I bring a book with me whenever I think I'll have a few minutes to read. Doctor's office visits are great reading moments. But having dragged this book with me from waiting room to exam room to blood draw room it became clear that I need a nook, Kindle or some kind of e-reader.

I am shrinking

I am officially 2 inches shorter than I was about 8 years ago. I also have decided I need to start taking calcium of vitamin D supplements ASAP and I need to get back into yoga. Even if yoga doesn't really stretch me, I feel taller when I'm doing it regularly.

I still haven't learned to read directions

Make sure the water fountain is for your mouth before bending down to take a drink or you will get an eye-full.

Giving 'some' blood can mean different things

I have a potential blood clotting thing that I decided should be verified and my doctor agreed and said I should have 'some' blood drawn. 'Some' to me is a tube or two of my life source. This year I was in for a treat! The tech kept taking tube after tube after tube and filling them up in a little rack.

All. For. Me. To. Fill

What have you learned during your annual physical?

Janine