I’m not a morning person. I’ve never been one, I’ll never be one, and I accept this about myself. Finally.

For awhile there, I would have the same conversation with Jon every night when we went to bed, “We have to get up early tomorrow,” I would say, “I’m tired of rushing. Let’s just get up an hour earlier.”

Like it’s easy. Sure, we can make that happen.

Not.

What would invariably happen, almost every time, is that not only would we fail to get up when the alarm went off an hour earlier, but we would then sleep past our normal time of getting up, causing us to have to rush even more. Epic Fail.

I hate rushing.

I despise rushing.

It isn’t the way I want to start my day.

Yesterday morning, when I dropped my kids off at school, I glanced through the car window at all the perfectly showered, make-up applied, hair brushed women dropping their kids off to school. I wondered what time they had to get up in order to look THAT good?

I’m almost always wearing pj’s when I take my kids to school. Usually, I’ve taken the time to pop my contacts in, but only because I want to see.

My hair isn’t brushed, but sometimes, I go the extra mile and put on a baseball cap, but only if things are going exceptionally well.

I’m always wearing slippers.

Fortunately, this has never been a problem. Except once. When Avi was little, she fell while getting out of the car. There she was, on the sidewalk, tears starting to fall down her little face, and I had to make a decision in an instant. It was either get out of my car, go around and pick her up while wearing my pajamas, or shout positive affirming statements encouraging her to get off the ground.

I stayed in my car.

Maybe not my best parenting moment, but fortunately, an adult walked by her shortly after she fell, and helped her up.

An adult I didn’t know. Thank goodness.

I don’t try to set my alarm early anymore. I accept myself for what I am: good at a lot of things, but painfully not an early riser.

You have to know yourself: what you’re good at, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and what you can do to push through areas where you tend to run a little short. For me, that’s not even attempting to get dressed before I’ve taken my kids to school, unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’ve seriously considered sleeping in my clothes the night before, but that might be taking things a little too far. Even I have my limits.

Focus on your strengths.

Don’t spend time dwelling on what you aren’t good at, what your shortcomings are, or where you don’t shine. Put your energy into things you do well, that make you feel good about yourself, and forget the rest.

And dear Lord, don’t judge the Mom in the carpool line wearing her pajamas. She’s doing the best she can.

Find meaning each day,

Dara