It’s summertime. My children are home. Stepchildren are here and my puppy, affectionately named Mandela, has clawed multiple holes in two screens. There are floors to be cleaned, laundry to be washed, dinner to be made, chapters to be revised and new chapters for the next book to be written. I’m sighing now just thinking about it. Do I love my life? Yes. Do I love my children? Of course. With these questions being answered, I sometimes wish I had an affinity for vodka gimlets and cocaine to ease the chaos that is my life.

As women, we strive to multitask and to juggle all of the balls effortlessly and we succeed most times but at what cost? Something has to give and for the life of me, I’m still trying to figure out what that is. After four decades, I’ve finally realized that prioritizing is important along with making lists, staying connected to the people you love and wine lots of wine. Seriously though being mindful helps me to maintain my sanity during those times when I wish that I were on an island somewhere alone watching the waves roll in at sunset. Mindfulness keeps me connected to that space inside where I can retreat and remember who I am even when I don’t recognize myself. Women serve many roles: educator, chef, therapist, driver, accountant and so the list goes on  and we are expected to perform without complaint sometimes even while wearing fishnets and stilettos. Oops, did I write that?

Navigation through life’s trials and tribulations is much smoother if you take time for yourself. Be still and breathe. Celebrate the gifts you have been given. Be grateful for the love you do have every day even if it’s three and loves to play stink finger in public. Maya Angelou said “Always I hope to grow brighter, funnier. I hope to learn to be even more well rounded. But right now, I cannot be any better than I am.” Relish all that you are yet be mindful that each days brings forth an opportunity to be better than you were the day before. The choice is yours. Now, I can go wash another load of laundry and fuss at my  daughter for something or other or I can chose to listen to Donny Hathaway and take a long hot bath.  Decision made. Donny here I come.