The Shower

We are staying with my parents for a couple of nights before our flight, which leaves tomorrow morning.  One of the best things about visiting my parents, aside from getting to spend some time visiting, is that there are a lot of extra hands for holding children.  And this usually results in a little bit of alone time for me.  I was lucky enough to find some of this time today.

I have been a little stressed with all the packing and planning, and I don't handle stress well.  Unfortunately, I feel like I take this stress out on my children.  I am too quick to get upset over minor issues, and raise my voice, which I absolutely abhor.  All this negative energy makes me feel like a terrible mother, and a far less than stellar me.  So this morning I made a wise decision, left the kids with their father and grandparents, and ran away to take a shower.

As a mom of two young children, showers are not what they once were.  First of all, they are not nearly as frequent as I would like.  More often than not, I am simply washing my hair by leaning over the edge of the tub, and running back downstairs to check on the kids, suds still in my hair.  If I am fortunate enough to have time for an actual shower, it is usually very fast, and not relaxing.  I was not going to take that kind of shower today.

I got the water very hot, and didn't get out until it was cold.  I slowly shampooed my hair, and then conditioned it even slower, a step I usually skip to save time.  I shaved my legs meticulously, going over every spot at least twice.  I scrubbed and scrubbed, until my skin was red.  Then I just stood there, and let every worry I could spare, run down the drain.  This might not resonate with you if you aren't a mom, but this kind of a shower, rare and precious, is truly a beautiful thing.