It Matters More Now

It's funny how before my kids were born I had all this time to write, think, keep my house in order, play the piano, and all the other things that keep me grounded and full of purpose, but now that my kids are born, well, making time to work at these things is pretty darn hard, but doing them matters so much more to me. It's like, when I write something now, it seems more lasting, more precious to me somehow. Maybe my kids will want to read through my journals someday, and maybe they won't, or maybe they will just like to know that they have something their mother wrote in their possession. Whatever the situation may someday be...I'd like to leave words behind for my girls that mean something to them. And when my kids hear me playing the piano every now and again, I want them to hear something sweet or comforting in the music, rather than hearing "old classical music and hymns that mom played instead of spending time with us". And I certainly don't want washing dishing to trump getting down on the floor and playing memory with my kids, but I do want them to have a comfortable, clean home in which to thrive. So, how in the heck do I not cross over this fine line from working at things that matter in special ways to the dark side of a mom too into "me time" and her own pursuits to remember to notice and really see her children? For all you mommies with passions and hobbies and dreams out there, this is not a rhetorical question. Seriously...how do y'all suggest keeping on the right side of the line? At this point...I'm thinking it shouldn't be that big of a problem, because I am thinking of my daughters and my role as a mother in some way as I perform every little task I do. But I realize that as kids grow up and become more independent, then this may be more difficult to do...maybe?...I don't know.