I hate the word busy!

You've heard it before, "It's been so long since I've seen you." "Oh, you know, I've been so busy." We live in a day in age when every bit of our time is accounted for. We have our iPad and iPhone calendars synchronized so that we don't miss a beat. We're taking the kids from one activity to the next. There are doctor appointments, meetings, church activities and the list goes on. Some days we may not even see our loved ones. At the end of it all we say is, "Whew, I am busy."

Since I've gone back to being a stay-at-home mom, I've realized that it wasn't the word "busy" that I hated. I hated not being able to put my kids to bed every night. I hated not having the energy to read that bed time story. I hated not remembering the last time I had a day with absolutely no plans. I hated the rushed kiss good morning and good-bye to my husband. I hated not seeing my Dad for 6 months. After apologizing for the gap I hated hearing him say, "It's okay. I know you're busy."

So now that I'm home, I'm happy to say that "I am busy." I'm busy painting my daughters' toenails. I'm busy dating my husband. I'm busy building a fort out of sheets with my son. I'm busy making whales out of tuna fish sandwiches. I'm busy krumping and literally making my kids laugh out loud. I'm busy watching the neighborhood kids play with our slip n' slide.

While my decision to refocus brought me to becoming a stay-at-home mom, yours may be an intentional family night once a week. It may be scheduling a lunch with a friend. The point is to be busy with the things that make you smile...oh...oh...oh.