My husband and I have talked for years about the trend of over-scheduled children. The parents who are doing everything within their power to guarantee their offspring are able to win in a competitive world. These kids have yoga in the morning, then rush off to preschool, then off to tutoring, then to ballet, then to soccer, then to violin lessons, then to vocal training, then off to chess club, then to French lessons, then to evening gymnastics, then a bath, and then to bed. The kids have to schedule time to eat and to play, all in the pursuit to give them every advantage lest they start to fall behind their peers. Yes, my husband and I, two naive TINKS (Two Incomes No Kids) quietly shook our heads at over-stimulated children and their frazzled parents and whispered to each other vowing, "Not us! We won't be like them."

Or will we? This weekend, like so many before, felt as stressful as any work week. Today we woke up early and attended a religious service. Usually it is a peaceful time of introspection, but not today. It just felt "fit in" as if we attend only to check off our weekly duty instead of having meaningful worship time. I wanted to stay longer and meet with the clergy, or attend a class, or go to breakfast and have a conversation with other parishioners. That was not possible, because we had other things scheduled. I had rehearsal later in the afternoon which left just enough time to fit in a bike ride with a friend, finish laundry, make phone calls for a church committee, walk the dogs, buy some rugs, and plant some flowers. The worst part is that this is not just the result of one tiring weekend. October was so exhausting it was all I could do to crawl in the bed at night knowing I only had a few precious hours of sleep before doing it all over again.

I know I am not alone. I spoke to another friend of mine this evening during a break in rehearsal. She confessed that she is feeling tired. Her life is like a cycle of wake up in the morning, drive a one hour commute, work over eight hours, drive another hour back home, and try to fit in quality time with loved ones. The question I am forced to ask myself is "What will I teach my children if I am over extending myself on a daily basis?"

So, I am trying to decide on my real priorities versus the things I say are my priorities but are really like fancy corporate mission statements that mean nothing to the employees. If I say my religion is important, should it not account for more than just small pockets of time between other appointments? If caring about my health is vital, should there not be time accounted for healthy dinners and walks? If I am feeling so lackluster about my job, then why on earth does it take up so much of not only my time, but also my energy?

Of course, this is an imperfect world and some things are necessary whether we think they are priority or not. Without my job, I could not afford our home or our adoption. Without putting in the time at school, I won't earn my Masters degree and I will be filled with regret.

For my family and my sanity, I need to figure this out. What about you? Are you someone who feels they have a good balance? What are the top three things that are important to you? Do you feel your priorities are being properly reflected in your life? Or are you like me and feeling stretched and drained? I would really like to hear what you have to say, so add a comment. Who knows? Maybe your comments will help us all get a little closer to getting it figured out.