Stress...

People ask me all the time how I keep from becoming overwhelmed as a single parent to 3 very rowdy children. The answer is simple. I don't. I am always feeling overwhelmed and tired and stressed... Surely these children will drive me to an early grave. I think I have come to accept that. My chances of living a long life were minimal to begin with given the life expectancies on my father's side of the family. Most of them didn't make it much past 60 ( my Dad only made it to 47). But now I feel that the constant stress that I am under financially and emotionally will surely kill me sooner. I often wish that my life were simpler-- no traffic to stress me out, no outrageously high bills to pay, children who would cooperate and clean up their messes without being told 1000 times, etc., etc... But, the reality is I live in a highly stressful city, I have a highly stressful job, and I have loud, dramatic, and often disobedient children. This is my life. I wouldn't change a thing. Okay, maybe I would change a lot of things. But I wouldn't change the fact that I am the single Mother of 3 wonderful children---even if they are going to put me in the grave in a couple of years. :)