Yesterday I did something I haven’t done in a long time. I went for a hike without my kids. I’m not sure why I don’t do this more often. I do like time to myself, and I love being out in nature. Seems like I would be doing this every chance I get. Who knows.

Anyway, my original plan was to take Happy to Quail Hollow but I ultimately decided that it was getting to be too late in the day and I wanted to do something a little closer. We ended up going to the Wellness Trail that the boys and I frequently visit when we don’t feel like going to Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Elliott was at his girlfriends house. Emmett and Gavin were just chilling out at home. No one wanted to go with me, so Happy and I went alone. It was actually really nice. I don’t know if Happy has ever done something like that before but he loved it. I figured that both he and I are trying to lose some weight, we might as well work as a team.

I know I harp on this all the time but it’s so incredibly important and can never be overstated. Self-care matters.

As parents, we have to put back into ourselves. I know it may feel selfish but sometimes being selfish is exactly the right thing to do. My therapist told me once that sometimes you have to be selfish before you can be selfless. It’s along the same lines as putting your oxygen mask on first, but worded in a less annoying way.

I know the time is limited for many of us. There’s not enough hours in the day to tackle everything we have on our plate but please hear me when when I say this. You’re worth the time.

Start out small and build from there. Just find ways to put back into yourself and if you struggle with feeling selfish, just remember that the more you pour back into yourself, the more you have to pour out. We practice self-care not only for ourselves but also for the people we love, especially our kids.

So take your dog for a walk or do something else that helps you recharge.

I’m definitely getting better at not feeling guilty when I focus on myself. It took practice but I’m making progress. At the end of the day, life isn’t about perfection. It’s all about embracing imperfection, being grateful for what we have, and making the most of it.

I’m absolutely going to be making time to go on these little solo adventures with Happy. For those wondering, Ruby doesn’t like being in the car and freaks out the entire time. She’s happy with her neighborhood walks.