Ruth Hartmann - you are NOT alone!

(also posted in my journal)

Ruth Hartman’s post about the lack of time struck a cord with me. And this is my response to her.

Fortunately for me, Portland is in a different time zone then I am, so I always felt that I had a few extra hours to complete the assignments. But I will admit that I was grateful for deadlines because it made me push myself to complete them.

However I did not have as much time as I wanted this past month to reach out to other members or to add more posts to my journal. It’s just a matter of coincidence that this month my parents needed my help more than usual.

I think that women are TIRED and STRESSED, and I think that whether women work in their homes, from their homes, or out of their homes, it is the same, and everyone has the same complaint – no time for themselves and exhaustion. Our responsibilities are too much- the house, the kids, the husband, cooking, cleaning, running errands, kids’ homework, and the list goes on and on.

An example of a typical day for me: I have adopted 2 beautiful children. After getting my 5 year old off to school, her 2 year old brother’s demands have to be met – one of which is an early morning “game” of soccer (football), and if I do not play I am in trouble! The cat and husband (children in their own way) have demands which must be met. Then come the endless household duties, lunch, more cleaning, homework, and then off to see my mother who is not well. I go each and every day – often with a meal for her and my father, to clean, or just sit with them. Back home, dinner, baths for the kids, picking up after everyone AGAIN – as I said earlier, household duties are endless – and then many nights I fall asleep before my 2 year old does!! I sleep about 2 or 3 hours.

It is now 2:50am, and it’s so normal for me to be awake and at the computer trying to write a few words. I am writing an article about empowering Arab women, and was distracted by Ruth’s post. I had to comment so that I can tell her that she is not alone!!

From what I see, many women have the same story to tell. No time for themselves. Their needs have taken a backseat to everyone and everything else. I think all this comes at the expense of our health.

Difficult as it is, I think it’s time we all slow down, connect to the beauty and the simple things in life, and most importantly connect to ourselves.

As an after thought, Ruth asked what lessons or gifts we got from completing the assignments. It gave me the opportunity to think about things in a deeper way, and then to write what is in my mind without inhibitions or censoring myself, and in the process of writing, I am able to understand myself as a woman better.