I haven't blogged at all in the past week because, well, life happened.  My son was sick, spent a night in the hospital, and I was right where I needed to be with my family.  

I spent a lot of time last week thinking about the experience and observing my own reactions.  

It was a real "practice what you preach" thing, because I had to apply a lot of the skills and concepts that I teach to clients to myself.  Being flexible doesn't come naturally to me, so it is something I had to be very intentional about.  I thrive on structure and routine in daily living, so this threw me completely for a loop.  

Here are a few examples of thoughts that went through my head:

• When I got the call from my husband that our son was being admitted to the hospital: Oh my gosh, am I a bad mom for not getting him to the doctor sooner?  And how could I not have been the one that took him to the doctor?  I should have been there.  He must have been so scared.  I'm glad I could stay with him in the hospital.  Better pack everything we could possibly need over the next few days, just in case.  
• About work: What am I going to do about work? Should I try to reschedule my clients for later this week or just cancel them?  How much do I tell them about what's happening, vs being vague about a 'family emergency'?  I don't have time to return phone calls and emails and people are going to think I'm unresponsive – I'm going to get a bad reputation!  How much are the medical bills going to be?  I need to get back to work to keep my income up.  Maybe I can hop on the computer and get some work done while he's sleeping.
• At home: I need to disinfect our entire house.  The dog needs walked.  I need to let my husband get some rest.  I'm exhausted.  How can I entertain J while he's still sick?  I can't believe there's an ice storm happening this weekend now…we're trapped inside.  I sure do wish I could go outside (because you always want what you can't have, right?).  

As you can see, it was a blur of anxious thoughts about what I could and should do.  I perpetually felt like I wasn't doing enough in any area of my life.  What kept me grounded was coming back to my North Star – my values.

When life pulls you in all sorts of directions, it is essential to stay connected to what matters.  In the end it won't matter how much money you earned, what you weigh, or if you responded to that email.  

What does matter is being the person God wants you to be.  Last week I was called to be fully present with my son.  This week I am leaning hard back into work during business hours, and then I'm putting back on my Mom hat at home.  I am planning some extra self-care for the week.  

When life throws you these curve balls, which it will, be prepared to be flexible and adapt to the circumstances.  The only constant thing in life is that life is constantly changing.