We’ve been summer traveling. It’s been fun, to say the least. Seeing new places, spending time with family and friends. No schedule. No routine. Making memories. Not getting nearly enough sleep.

Then home.

In 16 days, I went on three trips (two with my family, one with my Young Living sisters). I was home for a total of two days in between trips.

I came home exhausted. I’m not complaining. (Ok, maybe a little.) Can you complain from having too much fun? Nevertheless, my body and mind were tapped out.

So what did we do as soon as we got home? Hit the ground running, of course. Lily took off to the fair, I headed to book club, got to work on a Women’s Ministry Event, and Andy resumed work. Meanwhile I worked through loads of laundry and literally cups of Family Camp dirt. (We go to our church’s family camp each summer and come home with a lot of the famous “orange family camp dirt”.)

And then my dad had emergency surgery 2 days after we returned home. I won’t get into details; but he had complications from kidney stones which are in BOTH kidneys and still haven’t been removed. I drove over to be with my mom and possibly spend the night while my sister was in the ER with our dad. After 3 weeks of non-stop, we came home to NON- STOP.

Wait a minute. I needed a breather.

I knew my dad’s situation wasn’t life or death; but when your parents get older, sometimes routine procedures don’t turn out routine. You know what I mean? As I drove over to their house with my kids in the back seat this image kept coming to my mind.

I was in elementary school and I walked past my parent’s room. The door was open just a bit and I could see my mom. She was pulling her shirt over her head. My mom was getting dressed while sitting on the edge of her bed and she was crying. She was looking up at my dad with tears running down her cheeks. I would find out later that her dad had just died.

I had to be about Henry’s age, when my grandpa died. Which made my mom just a little bit younger than what I am now.

How did she work full-time, take care of multiple kids and a household while going through something so heartbreaking? How do you do life and keep going (because life just keeps going) when the abnormal, the hard and the tragic happen?

My mom and grandpa lived in different states. Though she didn’t see him as often as I see my parents, she was very close to him and had always been since she was little.

This is what I thought about as I drove over to sit with my mom and keep her company until my sister and dad came home, whenever that would be.

My dad is doing okay. He still has those stones!!! He has a few more procedures to go through. My parents are going to need a lot of help over the next several weeks. Life keeps going; but my priorities have changed suddenly.

Summer is winding down and new things are ramping up. Soccer, Co-Op, a new home school year, and I could go down the lists of “all the things” but I don’t think I need to. I think we all have our lists of “all the things”.

I’ve recently decided that when I feel overwhelmed, which I’ve been feeling lately, I’m going to give myself some grace, slow it down, take that list of “all the things” and just do the best I can.

Hey Mamas, as you go into this week and these final days of summer, let’s slow it down just a little bit longer. As we ramp up for the new school year or maybe just a new season in life, let’s just do the best we can. Let’s not beat ourselves up when we don’t finish the list. Let’s be okay when our normal gets interrupted with the unexpected.

I’m learning this lesson right now. I’m also learning how much sleep I need and that I’m not getting enough. Let’s hear it for naps!!

*Since I wrote this, we’ve had two other trips to the ER for my dad. The stones aren’t out yet. Though he is feeling better, we are waiting for a date to blast those stones!!! I’m praying for only scheduled hospital visits from here on out and no more ER visits!!!