About eight busy and beautiful women gathered in a parking lot in preparation for a voter awareness drive. This was a Saturday morning after a long work week, and for some, in the midst of a full weekend of kiddos' activities. That's a typical day for many of us, but the conversation led us to evaluate how we care for our physical and mental health while living our busy and beautiful lives.
A woman we knew had just lost her earthly battle to cancer that had returned. She was a few months into a great new role that was one of her most significant accomplishments in her career and a mom to toddlers. She was our age. She was now a reminder that we better get intentional about living and enjoying life. It was clear that out of the eight of us, some of us understood the assignment better than others. I'm glad I was being busy with those beautiful women that day. I needed to hear that story about an amazing sister gone too soon. I needed the affirmation that taking some time for your well-being is not selfish. I needed to hear how some of my busy sisters have booked non-negotiable monthly self-care days. I needed all of this because I sometimes feel guilty when I think, let alone say, that I need a break.
After passing out voter awareness cards, we had lunch and a plan for a girls' day at Chateau Elan, a local winery resort and spa about 50 miles north of Atlanta. So, if you're reading this and you're somewhere living a busy and beautiful life but putting yourself at the bottom of the list, I hope this post encourages you to put your survival plan into action. So, sleep in, order takeout, go to the spa, book the trip or whatever brings you joy while you're living your busy and beautiful lives.