Juggling too much

I have an appropriate confession for July 16, which is International Juggling Day: I'm juggling way too much in my life right now.

And I know I'm part of a huge majority of people nowadays.

So, that's why I haven't had time to add to my blog this week or Twitter. Time to put my ADDDDDDD+ mind into a focused orbit. And it's hard. Painfully hard. And it's annoying. Painfully annoying.

We all have levels we mark as being overwhelmed. What's demanding for one person may be a breeze for another. We're told to count our blessings when we see someone who is faced with more adverse challenges or tragedy. I try very hard to do that BUT I then feel guilty for feeling bad about anything not going perfect in my life or when my concerns seem pathetic in the scheme of the universe. It's an endless cycle …

We're also told to "snap out of it!" Didn't Cher slap Nicholas Cage in "Moonstruck" with that directive?

We all have limits but often never know until we reach them. I met an Alzheimer's caregiver whose loved one is declining rapidly. I listened to what was not said, the question that they can't bring themselves to say aloud: "Am I selfish if I'm reaching the point where I can't cope with daily care anymore?"

And this person is part of a silent majority that could be beaten down by this damn disease without support.

Yes, there is a point where charity and compassion demand too great a toll. Are we selfish when we no longer have the physical and emotional capability of daily care? Do other family members or friends or neighbors think we're lazy or unfeeling when our capacity to feel the blood flow through our veins weakens by the day from the stresses that drain us?

Let them walk in our well-worn shoes one month, one week, one day.

Whether we are devoured by caregiving duties or having extended ourselves too far because we don't know how to say no or yes, our pain is real. There are times to be persistent on our own and times to ask for help.

Don't think of it or call it a "pity party." Refer to it as a moment of reflection that is vital to our destiny, our basic survival.

Then we will more clearly see what we're really juggling.