Multitasking Mamas
Posted by Lynn Wehner in Family on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 12:00 PM
“I am woman. Hear me roar.” I can do 5 things at the same time. What skill! Uh, right? Lately, I’m having my doubts.
A priest recently spoke about Mother Teresa. A friend of his was able to spend a few minutes with her. What struck him most was her spirit of detachment.
At the very moment she was in his presence, a million things with her order’s sisters were going on around the world. Important things. Life-changing things. And yet, her attention was completely focused on him. She was totally detached from anything that wasn’t going on in that room at that moment.
So often we are stunned by stories of Mother Teresa’s humility, work ethic, and generosity. But this one simple story may have made the greatest impact on my soul.
How often do I pride myself on doing many things at once? Look at me, writing a presentation — while cooking dinner. Working on a newsletter mailing — while doing laundry. Checking my email — while making out my grocery list. Stunning efficiency, right?
Well, it can be. We moms are experts at this out of necessity. But is it good for us? Or does the very mode we get into to “get things accomplished so we’re not stressed” in fact build stress?
Worse yet, what happens when our multitasking involves our families in a more intimate way. You know, planning our errands while reading a story to our children. Or planning the next day’s carpool schedule while listening to our husbands talk about their days. It makes me sad to even think about it.
At this time of year, the very “need” we see to multitask — wrapping presents while we’re on the phone gathering some missing addresses for a Christmas card mailing and cookies are in the oven — may be the thing that’s totally messing with the peace of our Advent journey.
I try to surrender my plans to God’s by praying a Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola each morning:
Take, Lord, receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, my whole will.
All that I am and all that I possess You have given me.
I surrender them all to You to be guided by Your most holy will.
Give me only Your love and Your grace.
With these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more. Amen.
I don’t know if it’s helping, but at least it helps me to start my day in the right place. So, how do you seek a spirit of detachment from all the “stuff” we need to do — and focus on what’s important that’s right before your eyes?
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