Adulting

Adulting: the act or practice of attending to the ordinary tasks required of a responsible adult.  Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word aptly spoken.                                Proverbs 25:11

“You don’t get credit for just being an adult!” That’s what one of my clients said to me the other day. What she meant was, just performing the ordinary tasks of daily life- laundry, dishes, cleaning, cooking, her day job, etc.- was not a reason to give herself credit. On the one hand, I agreed with her. Yes, these are the expected tasks of adults to maintain a household. However, when you add that to other stresses, such as relational problems, health problems, lack of sleep, depression, or lack of social support, you find that just keeping up with “adulting” can be a significant achievement.

She was unable to see that. Given her current situation, just keeping up with her daily chores was indeed an accomplishment. I pointed out to her that it was not about being given “credit”, but accepting that she is performing well despite some very difficult current circumstances. Often, we cannot see what others see in us. Timely encouragement, from an objective point of view can be incredibly helpful.

Prayer: Lord, help us to give encouragement to others who cannot give it to themselves, Amen