Last night, I left the house at 5 pm to go grocery shopping. Alone. Sans kids. All three of them. I was almost giddy looking forward to this outing all week. You know you’re a mom when grocery shopping alone counts as “me” time. It really does count.
I hit the Wholesale Club and Walmart. I managed to remember things I needed that went beyond my pre-planned list. It’s much easier to think on your feet when you’re not trying to keep your kids from either a) trying to get out of the shopping cart or b) running out of the store once they’ve escaped the cart.
I perused (almost) every aisle and even got some stocking stuffers for the boys. I had a dinner of, um, grapes and pretzels because I didn’t want to waste my precious time away on fast food. It was nice to get out and stock up my cupboards so that I can feed my family.
But the best part? The drive to and from town. You see, we live 10 minutes behind our small town, and about 25 minutes from the next city which has the above-mentioned stores. That gave me about an hour of driving time. Again, alone. Alone with my music, which was cranked. Alone with my thoughts, which was good. It’s times like that where I can think clearly, talk to God, and then think even a little more clearly.
On my drive back, I started thinking about a road trip I took the summer before I met Matthew. I drove from Vancouver to Calgary, by myself, to go and visit friends. After twelve hours of driving, I arrived in Calgary and felt…woozy. Something to do with my body hurtling through space at over 100 km per hour, probably. Once the wooziness wore off, I felt refreshed. Yes, refreshed.
I had just had twelve hours alone in my truck with God, my thoughts, and my music. A true favourite trilogy of mine. Things that had been bugging me back home were put in a new light. I felt at peace and maybe even more confident in who I was. I felt like a new woman, however cheesy that sounds.
Last summer, I did a solo road trip from here to Vancouver for a day of work. About 4 hours of driving each way, and it had the same effect on me. And surprisingly, that mere hour last night seems to have done its magic again.
I walked in, and Nathan yelled, “Mommy!!!!” and ran to me with open arms. Apparently he was quite upset the whole time I was gone. This is not normal for him; he’s a Daddy’s boy all the way. He had brought Matthew the van keys and was asking to go in the car and find me. He even brought him the phone and asked to talk to me. Proves to me that his occasional “issue” isn’t a personal attack against me. He’s just two.
Graham was also happy to see me. He gave me a hug and a kiss and said, “I so very much missed you!” I missed him too.
And Miss Emily was in a light sleep on her Daddy’s lap. Her eyes were fluttering open and closed. I stood over her, looked down and softly said, “Hey there, sweet baby girl.” Her eyes flew open and locked onto mine. Sleep is not important when Mommy returns, it so appears.
I was missed, I am loved and I am blessed. Nothing like a few moments away to put everything into perspective.
I’ll say a huge amen to that. Alone time really is important. I think not only for us moms but for our kids too.
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Good for you getting some alone time. We all need that once in a while.
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How simple taking an hour for ourselves is. I must do that more often.
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Grocery shopping sans kids IS alone time!
I cherished every outing like that when Kamden was a baby
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Sounds like you really needed that time away! Even if it was at the grocery store
I also enjoy shopping alone, it is almost peaceful!
Isn’t it neat to see how much our kids miss us when we come home?
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yah spending a few hours alone must really feel nice to you. i don’t know how you do it with 3 kids. as much as i love kids and want them some day, i just don’t know if i could handle 3 at once. but i guess you just learn to figure it out.
i hope you don’t mind but i linked your blog on mine.
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I’m so glad you got some alone time.
And I too feel like the grocery store is “me” time…but mine is only 6 minutes away
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I don’t like grocery shopping but I love driving in the car with my music turned up. It’s your space and in the car with my music and God is where I’ve realized some of my hardest lessons. I don’t have kids but I have parents
so I can appreciate the need to escape.
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Yes funny how grocery shopping is “fun” and “enjoyable” once you have kids, I feel the same way. And driving in the car alone now feels a little strange now too.
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That first paragraph sure rings true!! I love it!
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Alone time is fantastic, when you can get it
Does having a shower count?
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Sounds blissful, the alone time, and the homecoming!
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Nice to have some some alone time…even if it’s in the produce section of the grocery store!
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(You’ve been Randomized!) I’ve been reading you for a few days now and figured I’d comment and say hi. Driving alone is one of the most therapeutic things ever. I was interviewing for residency this past January and spent a week driving all over New England by myself. Spending every night in a different bed wasn’t exactly the greatest, but all those long drives I took between cities were wonderful.
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Those moments really make all the difference. Oh, doctors appointments alone count as ‘me time’, too…although that doesn’t happen very often:) And how cute is Graham?
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Having a few minutes alone to do even the mundane tasks is such a great feeling. I think when we get out a bit by ourselves (even to do grocery shopping!) gives us a fresh perspective…and in the end makes us better mothers!
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