Titus 2 is Bible passage that tells us older women to pass on our wisdom to younger women. The trouble is that us older women sometimes don't think of ourselves as particularly old or having particularly much wisdom to share. I guess I'll preach it here and then try to better at practicing it in real life.
So, in addition to everything I said in my first post, I'm going to add a few more pieces of advice. First, it helps to overcome depression if you have some work to distract you from your miserable feelings and bring you out of yourself. A major home project is a good one. You may want to do some simple redecorating to beautify your surroundings. A new throw or pillows for your living room. Maybe you find a new comforter to change the look of your bedroom. Some pretty scented candles. This is the fun and easy part. Have fun!
The less fun, but very therapeutic second half of this effort is to roll up your sleeves and get to work setting off all of your new pretty things with a clean, orderly background. If your mind goes to the dishes and you want to be sick, forget the kitchen for now. Vacuum the living room with the new candle and dust the mantle it sits on. Rearrange your nick-nacs and set a favorite statue of the Blessed Mother or St. Joseph near your candle. Ask for a new pretty rosary for your upcoming birthday, feast day, or Christmas, and cherish it more than jewelry. Prayer and beauty goes a long way. Once the room of your choice looks like a sanctuary to your sore spirit, you might just scour that kitchen (and bathrooms) to give all of that disorder a kick outta town. Yes, your kids will trash it in one meal flat. But you know that just one massive pile of dishes ago your kitchen looked good. Get it back, cheerfully if you can. Be joyful that you are creating order and beauty (and sanitation while you're at it) for your family. A clean kitchen might inspire you to revamp your meal planning. Make a nice warm dinner and bring in one of your new candles for the table. It feels so very good to serve a beautiful and healthy meal to your family. Or not. Know when you've done enough for one day. Aim for Sunday's meal to be special. Plan your attack and be excited for your husband to notice your successes. Purge your house of unnecessary clutter. Bless someone else with the excess or the lightly worn that you are happy to pass on. Now organize what's left. Yep, you're spring cleaning and I don't care what month it is: this is your new springtime! You have a new baby after all!
My baby's crying for me, so that's it for tonight!
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