"I'm leavin'...on a jet plane. Don't know when I'll be back again."

Oh, how I wish that were true...
I have a problem.
When I get stressed, really stressed, I have a powerful urge to run away.
This looks decent...




I would go there.

Now before we all freak out, I'm not planning on being some tragic character in a novel that leaves her family to get away from the stresses of motherhood and all that jazz to find herself, although that does sound nice. 
See, I'm willing to run away with my kids, if needed.

This urge usually includes a desire to run home to my mommy. 

Why is that at 30 years old, I still feel like I NEED my mom. 
It really feels like she's the only who can "fix" me, sometimes. 

I need clarity, relief, distractions, rest.  Someone who I know really knows the stress of an absent husband, sick kids for months on end, the urge to run and so much more. 
I need someone to tell me all the things I already know.  That this too shall past.  That this is an internal, spiritual struggle.  That' I'm not failing miserably at everything I'm doing.
Going to my parents provides me all that. 
I am my most ME with them. 
I don't have to pretend that Chad's jobs aren't sucking the life out of our family and we don't know how to fix it. 
I don't have to pretend that, as much as I love my kids deep down, they haven't lately made me want to crawl into a hole til spring. 
I know that although I DO feel that way, they will make me feel like it's not that bad and we're all going to be ok.

So, thanks to my thoughtful and caring little sister, I'm going to go see my family next weekend. 
I'm going to hang on by my nubby little fingernails and not go crazy this week. 
I will even try to enjoy the week. 
And I will gladly run away next weekend and hopefully come back with all those things my heart needs... and some good memories.