Stress

I have been a bit stressed lately. Have you ever had those days? The ones where you are stressed, but aren't sure why? The bills are getting paid. Everyone is healthy. You have a roof over your head, a car that works and a family that loves and supports you, but you are short tempered and worried and well, stressed.
Maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's the messy house which is messy because of the unfinished projects going on (bathroom renovation, painting bedrooms and so on). Maybe it's the busy pace of life or suddenly realizing your babies aren't babies anymore. Who knows?
For several years now, I have worried and stressed over the size of the school district we live in and my daughters attending the public schools as they got older. I worried about them growing up too fast because so many of their classmates are 10 going on 30. I worried about what and who they will be exposed to. All this worry leads me to stress about money... money for a bigger house in a smaller school district or maybe for private school. Stress about money leads to stress about working or not working, going to school or not, job vs career and so on and so on.
Then, last night, I watched. I watched my oldest and her class mates. I watched her friends and her peers. I watched and listened to how they interacted with one another. I watched as they were honored for making a difference in their school, for being role models and for making good choices that will positively impact their futures. I also started thinking about my discussions with my daughter over the past several years about school, friends and even about or "little" house and moving.
Today, I am starting to stress less. I am seeing more clearly now that peer pressure and kids that are growing up too fast are everywhere - small town or big city and everywhere in between. I am seeing that money isn't everything and that not having more money and a bigger house has been a blessing. I am seeing that I am blessed (and so are my girls) to have a husband who is an involved father and an extended family who is there to love and support us. No matter where we are, how much money we make or what school my girls go to, how we parent them makes more of a difference than ANY outside factor.
Does this mean I won't still worry about their education, friends, activities and so on? No, I will still worry - I think that's part of motherhood. But, I do think I will stress less about it.
Now - if only I could figure out a way to not stress about the house work and projects. <sigh> I guess that will be a subject for another days. LOL