"We didn't call it 'self care' back then..."

This school year I joined a prayer group for moms.  My friend started a local chapter to pray for our kids, their schools, and their staff and teachers.  It's been wonderful! But I didn't sit down today to tell you about the group. I wanted to share a quick story about an interaction I had afterwards.

My friend's mom is a wonderful woman in her 80s. She's worked overseas, been a mentor to someone at my church I greatly respect, and faithfully shows up every week to watch our kids so we can pray. She'd heard about my business and wanted to know more. A bit self-consciously, I explained I was a self care coach for moms, and that I helped moms take care of themselves as they cared for others.

Now, I know there's a need for modern moms to care for themselves, but was that idea going to translate across the generations? I waited for her reaction.

"Oh, that's wonderful," she replied, not missing a beat. "I never had that term, 'self care'. We didn't call it 'self care' back then. We used to call it 'stop and smell the roses'. But that's so important. When you're my age, it takes even more energy and effort to do that, to stop and smell the roses. But it's so needed."

How about that! My takeaways:

• Self care may be a new term, but the need for it transcends generations. It's not a passing fad, but a true human need.
• We can't assume self care will get easier with time. We can't wait for when the toddler's out of diapers, for when we get a job with better hours, or even for when we're retired to rest and recharge. It's always going to take intentionality and energy to care for ourselves. Why not start now?

​I chose to coach moms of young kids because I knew I could serve them well in this stage of their lives. But the work we do together lays a foundation that lasts a lifetime.