What a surprise I got tonight when my Holistic Moms co-leaders and members presented me with flowers and a (gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, refined-sugar-free) cake at our monthly meeting!
Holistic Moms Arlington/Alexandria co-leaders: Leigha, me (Jessica), and Mary
We decided not to do a huge anniversary party again this year after last year’s blow out, and I wasn’t really missing all the stress! But they kept the anniversary in mind and were so kind to honor me for starting the chapter on my own two years ago (two days after spending the entire day trying to get home from the inauguration before going back out to a ball. What a week!).
It’s been a lot of work from the start, and lately I’ve been a little grumpy about how much time I spend on Holistic Moms, in part because both my co-leaders are stepping down. Don’t get me wrong: leading the chapter contributes a lot to my sense of self because I feel like it makes a positive difference in the lives of others. As I said in my intro tonight, if even one child is helped because one parent saw a flyer or email post about our Special Diets meeting and got a bug in his/her ear to investigate food sensitivities, then all the effort is worth it.
And yet, it’s a lot of effort, and my children and spouse deserve that kind of attention and devotion. I often feel I shortchange them with my various interests (Holistic Moms being just one of them, but connected to most of the others), and yet I also know that it doesn’t send a positive message to hold myself back and not pursue my passions. I want my children to see their mama as a committed and involved person who makes a positive contribution to others’ lives. I just want that to include their lives, too! And their dad’s!
As I stand in this space of hoping for new help to run the chapter — and hoping to find the right childcare fit to let me work from home on this and other holistic-health-related pursuits — it was really lovely to feel heartfelt and totally unexpected appreciation from the people who have supported me in the development of the chapter. The meeting was great, and I’m hopeful for a sustainable future.
Thank you, everyone! And happy birthday to me and to us!
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