How Do You Re-Charge?

I think I have already beat this dead (well, perhaps not dead, but certainly unconscious) horse before on my blog, but I am pondering something again.  

I am feeling...empty.  Not spiritually necessarily, a little physically, but mostly emotionally or mentally.  It has been a busy couple of weeks in our house, and I haven't done a very good job of keeping my emotional energy up.  Now I am not one for always focusing on me, and I don't want to ever turn into the mom who spends all her time chasing the wind of constant self fulfillment.  But every so often I hit this spot where I know I need to stop.  Right now I am bending, but not yet broken, and it is better for everyone involved if I quietly take a brief time out instead of pressing on only to crash and burn in relationally damaging spastics.  (Not that I have ever done that.  No.  Not me.  Huh-uh.)

So tomorrow my sweet husband wants me to take some time for myself to recharge and refill and regroup.  Those upcoming hours are such a sweet gift.  However, I am not sure what exactly to do with them.  So I thought I would ask my faithful readers.  (I figure both of you will be helpful...)  So far, I am thinking about taking my MacBook and my sheep study notes (because everything you ever wanted to know about God and man can be learned by studying sheep in the Bible), and heading to the awesome new library in town for a few hours.  Or maybe I need to go see a movie.  Or maybe I need to call up some girl friends and spend some quality time together at Starbucks.  All of these sound like fun, but I don't want to be frivolous or wasteful with my time away from my family.  I need to be intentional or I will be irresponsible with the gift of tomorrow.

So, what do you do to recharge your emotional batteries?  If you had a morning, a day, or a weekend just for yourself what would you choose to do with it?  If money and childcare were no object, what would you plan for yourself?  

I will check back in tomorrow and let you know what I decided and how it worked out.  In the mean time, throw out some ideas of your own.  Maybe we can inspire each other!

Comments

Norwood Mama said…
I aimlessly wander the mall or eat a meal at a restaurant with a book in my hand. Or I go to a movie by myself. If the weather were nice, I might to for a walk somewhere beautiful...
January 23, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Dr. McB said…
I've dreamed of having that kind of time, but I don't know what I would do with it without friends. I would probably go to a tourist site that I've been meaning to see, like the Vanderbilt Mansion, something that I don't think my husband or 3-year-old would enjoy. My free time would definitely involve cake and coffee, the best cake I could find and a cappuccino.
January 24, 2009 at 4:11 AM
Aly-Rae said…
There is a line in a song that goes, "I wanna be the only one for miles and miles" That sounds incredible. I have long dreamed of being in a place, perhaps with a close friend or my darling hubby, that is removed from the crowds, the noise, the distractions that this world surrounds us with. Just to "BE", to be surrounded by the sounds, smells and sights of God's creation. Peaceful...calm...serene.
A deserted island, a mountaintop, in the middle of a lake in a row boat, a quiet, windy beach and a good book. No ipod, no computers, no traffic noise.
Just the sound of the wind or singing birds.
Someday.
January 24, 2009 at 8:36 AM
Renovation Girl said…
I'm so lame that when I get the time, I end up using it to get caught up on housework. How pathetic is that?! If I weren't so lame, though, I would probably grab a good book, head to Panera, eat a sinful chocolate croissant and have a hot cup of coffee. THEN, (because one thing is not enough), I would head to the mall to shop for shoes and jeans-two things I cannot do with Builder Boy there.

Whatever you choose, I hope it recharges you. I know this feeling all too well and it's hard to recharge that emptiness.
January 24, 2009 at 8:38 AM
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