Sometimes You Just Have to Cut Loose

I had an opportunity last weekend to go out of town for one evening with two of my girlfriends to the Outer Banks of North Carolina which is about an hour and a half from us. I have not been on an overnight trip with these girlfriends for 10 years, and it was in our pre-children days- so a quick day away from our family responsibilities was deserved and needed.

I almost didn't go for several reasons, but I felt I needed the girl time and a little break from the daily life of work, and motherhood.

We took off with our bags in hand and headed South. We hit a few outlet stores and we each found several great items. After that we went to dinner and by the time we were mid-way through dinner it was obvious we had begun to relax and were enjoying ourselves. We had great conversation and lots of laughs.

After dinner we stopped in the grocery store before heading to our condo. In the grocery store, instead of the trip being stressful with several kids in tow or rushing through each aisle, we were laughing at the silliest things and making jokes and posing for goofy pictures in the store.

After we were slap happy we headed back to the condo where we relaxed, talked, and enjoyed the evening with friends and time away from children tugging on our legs or in our beds.

But the highlight of the trip came the next day when we decided to go to Jockeys Ridge to enjoy the day, the outdoors and take pictures. We have all become the defacto photographers for our families so most of the pictures are of our children and husbands. I have to actually ask my husband to take a picture of me with the kids- it never happens otherwise.

So we decided to take pictures of each other and it was so much fun. We climbing in trees, posed beside a creek, and ran around the dunes.

We grabbed lunch and returned home around 3 on Sunday. Well let me tell you that in those 24 hours we laughed more than I have ever laughed in 1 day and we were free to be. We were free to be funny, silly, spontaneous, and relaxed and let me tell you I cannot remember the last time I felt that way. Each week I get moments where I feel that sort of fun and freedom from the day or the busyness of having a family and my own business, but usually that feeling or experience will only last a few minutes- like when I decide to sit on a swing and swing as high as I can while my kids play on the playground equipment beside the swings.

This trip reminded me why I need time with my many wonderful girlfriends and why I need to look for opportunities to feel that sort of relaxation, freedom and silliness in my everyday life.

The trip reminded me that no one but me keeps me from experiencing such bliss every day and that most of us take life a bit too serious. The honest truth is living in the moment and allowing ourselves to laugh from our belly, or swing high up into the sky and look in amazement at the sky, or to run around like a airplane with our kids until we fall down with laughter is a choice.

I have to choose every day- will I go have fun with my kids or spend my time cleaning, cooking, working and organizing instead? I can't ignore the necessary work that has to be done for my business or our home, but I can have more fun doing it and make my time with my kids even more meaningful and full of laughter and joy just by making the decision that I am going to live in that moment. If I feel like swinging or being an airplane I am going to do it. I will not be prisoner to my list of must do's, no instead I will free myself to enjoy today and the here and now with my kids, husband and friends.