Some is Better than None

As is very apparent, I have been having a hard time keeping up. Not just with my writing, but with my homesteading adventures, and honestly with my life. The thing is, babies are hard. Really hard. With a baby and two little girls, I can’t seem to find time for the regular chores, let alone all the projects I dream of. I can’t keep up with the laundry, homeschooling my preschooler, or my first grader’s schedule, let alone the goats, chickens, cows, garden, cooking from scratch, never mind maintaining my sanity! Add to that having just moved into a new house that needs a lot of TLC and whew, I am in way over my head! Handy Husband is pretty well tied up these days with repairs and upkeep on the additional acreage and many more cows.

One of the biggest challenges for me with this project that is my life is I tend to be a jump in with two feet kind of person. I tend to beat myself up about all the things I am not keeping up with. I am working really hard on reminding myself some is better than none. I am trying hard to focus on the successes, rather than all that goes undone. After all, my house will be tidy again… someday.

I know seasons changes and my infant won’t be a baby for long. Soon he will want to run and play rather than be held for hours. If the only project I accomplish today is keeping my children and animals fed, it is enough. Bonus points if my children are clean, dressed, and mostly happy!

Some is better than none! Imperfect attempts at any goals are still a success. Today, my baby needs to be held, and that is okay. Please feel free to remind me of this mantra each time  I forget!

I find myself pondering, how did so many before me get it all done? Here is what I think: First, they probably didn’t, not without help anyway. Large and extended families mean everyone can accomplish more. Everyone pitches in. Close-knit communities where everyone works together were essential for centuries of humankind. I feel so blessed to live in a community that in many ways still values these ideas. Even more importantly, we farm as a family. Our children contribute to our operation, and both sets of our parents are involved in what we do. (More on this to come. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement!)

Second, never before have people lived in the age of the internet. This kind of world with these unique challenges and related benefits are unchartered. Information is immediate. While this phenomenon has opened up information sharing like never before, it also means we are constantly bombarded. Sometimes that information turns into pressure to maintain a pinterest perfect life. I struggle to overcome the unachievable standards I have simultaneously created for myself and see echoed back at me over various platforms. Perfect mom, wife, friend, farmer, rancher, and somewhere in there attorney! While I sit with my computer in my lap and my sleeping baby at my side, I wonder if maybe I wouldn’t be better off to turn this thing off and go churn some butter!

Honestly, the butter is going to have to wait for another day. Today, some is better than none.