Last weekend I went on a trip all by myself.  My husband stayed home and my daughter went with my Mom and Grandma.  Everyone took their own separate time out.

I had planned my trip quite a while back, and as it got closer, I started getting doubts.  Stella had been increasingly sick and I was starting to feel the need to cancel.  But, a few days before I left, things made a turn for the better.  Stella started to get well, my mom came to town and I was able to wrap up a few things for work.  I felt ready to go.

I spent the weekend with my college friends.  We went to a museum, ate out and drank lots of coffee.  I even learned how to play dominoes – go figure.  I ended the weekend feeling energized and ready to come home.

My first day back wasn’t what I had envisioned.  Stella was incredibly clingy and I felt tired and overwhelmed.  It didn’t feel like my trip was worth it.

Slowly, I started to notice some small things that made me realize the break was needed for all:

My husband was doing the dishes – what!?! That is not real life. 

Stella was all smiles when I dropped her off at school.  That hasn’t happened in, I don’t know, months.

I realized I needed to compare my time away to a massage.  The first day after a massage, you are usually sore and grumpy.  The second day, you start to feel a little better, and by the third day, you just feel great and want another one.

We were in some kind of weird cycle at my house where we were all feeding off of each others emotions – a bad spiral of sick, tired, grumpy, stressed, messy-mess.  Spending those few days away from each other allowed us all to reset.

I am starting to see that something like this is needed about once a year.  And is something I recommend for all Moms. Sometimes it is ok to take a break from life, from the daily routine.  There should be no guilt involved.  Everyone will come back refreshed and re calibrated, even if it takes a few days for the effects to show.