Time to be you

I know that I don’t speak on behalf of all parents but I am confident that I speak on behalf on many, when I say that time to yourself, a day to yourself even is something dreams are made off.

All day, from dawn until dusk, to do whatever YOU like. God, I can almost hear the wishful sighs.

I have been rather lucky of late to have had just that. Time to myself. Time to be me. Time to enjoy the company of my friends but also my own company.

When I was younger I remember hating being alone. As a teenager and into my 20’s I was always out. I loved the social, being with friends and would go as far as to say that I avoided spending too much time in my own company. I didn’t like being alone. Now a married Mother of one in my (early!) 30’s I realise that I am happy in my own company. Perhaps it’s because it isn’t readily available. The classic you want what you can’t have.

The problem for many of us parents, is when you do get the rare evening ‘off’, one tends to rush to the local with friends, neck as much wine as humanly possible before last orders, only to then feel like death for the next 48hrs (because that is how long hangovers last these days) and vow never to drink again.

The weekend before last, I was very lucky to have a whole day to myself and I am not ashamed to say that I loved it. Having spent the night in London with my Aunty who was in town for the weekend, I had a full nights sleep, had a gorgeous brekkie at the hotel before hitting Oxford Street wander, yes that’s right, wander round the shops. I then spent the afternoon in the garden, sitting in the sun, listening to music and reading. It was heaven.

I am writing this because it struck me how important it is, to find time to be you. We live such extraordinarily busy lives. Most of which are spent putting others first. Time to yourself is precious and whilst you may not crave it, when it comes around, you may be surprised by how much you appreciate it.

This weekend just gone, I also took some time to be me, albeit a more lively and slightly intoxicated me. Still just as fun and just as appreciated. The hangover however, not so much!