Yes! I chose.....to be a soccer mom.

I confess, I have a problem with the word "no". How about you?

What does the almighty Oprah call it? I think she refers to it as, "the need to please".

Yep, that's what I have got - "the need to please", and I got it bad!

I chaired our school auction two years in a row...yes, you heard me right, I was dumb (yes, dumb) enough to sign up for round two after round one about kicked my butt!

What is it about us women that we can't say the short little, two letter word "n-o"? I guess it something we have to learn, and learn I have.

I have learned that I while I am looking to please others, I am neglecting things that I ultimately feel are most important to me.....my health and well being, my children and family, my career dreams and aspirations, my little 'ol blog....

So this weekend, I made a choice.....

A BIG - and perhaps scandalous - choice.....

I chose to be a soccer mom for the weekend INSTEAD of attending the school auction that I had spent a year planning!



You see, it seems I (former 80's cheerleader) gave birth to a pretty awesome athlete who just so happens to be a pretty awesome soccer player. Said daughter had a soccer tournament scheduled for this week in Iowa. Because of the auction, I was going to stay home and hubby was going to go and cheer on our awesome athlete.

About a week ago, I was lying awake in bed unable to sleep, thinking about my choices and what was really imporatant to me. I was thinking how I wanted to be more purposeful in using my time - spending it on things that really mattered to me. And I had a "lightbulb moment" (more Oprah references).....I did NOT have to go to the auction, the work was already done! I had two other co-chairs who could handle the evening.

For me (and my daughter), it was so much more important to be in Iowa, in the rain and cold fulfilling my duty as a soccer mom.



I never even considered that in my quest to not disappoint the school and the co-chairs I had worked with, that I was disappointing someone who matters to me even more, my own daughter.

I am so thankful that this weekend I chose to be a soccer mom. Let me just tell you girls, this is a big deal for me and one that will lead me down a different path....