Dear introvert, I’m sorry

Dear my introvert self, I know you’re hurting. I know you feel unseen. Unheard. Ignored.

These past few weeks have been chaos, long, and with so, so much forced interaction. With both familiar faces…and brand new. Most good, but all draining.

Your weekends, once your safe space, your time of recharge, and the reset you NEED to function properly once again…have been nonexistent for weeks now.

Constant things. Activities. Holidays and visits from family and cleaning and more cleaning and MORE events…family events and school events and the list just doesn’t end. And weeks where 2 out of 3 of your children have been PARTICULARLY physically needs and clingy. Full of love, but TOO MUCH touching and cuddling and neediness.

I thought tomorrow, we’d get our chance or peaceful silence and stillness…when extended family goes home, the house will be empty…and I have a chance to be responsible for no one but myself and my needs.

But I was wrong.

Instead of decompressing in a house full of silence and emptiness, I’ve been informed, last minute, by my 6 year old first grader, that there is actually a performance at his school tomorrow, Saturday, in addition to a Fall Fest.

The day I’ve been looking forward to for weeks, is now the actual day from hell…where an overtired brain meets more overstimulating activities.

Obviously, seeing my son in his first ever singing performance trumps my NEED for recharge. They come first. They always do.

But my cup is empty. And now, we’re poking holes in the bottom. Making it even harder to fill.

My introvert hurts.

And we’re starting to see the consequences.

I hear you, introvert.

But I wish everyone else could hear us too.

Weeks is just too long, without a SINGLE moment to myself.