2/9/26: This Is What Giving Yourself Grace Actually Looks Like

This week’s blog is a few hours late and not the content you are used to.

Remember last week when I talked about giving up or giving grace.  Last week, I had a week of giving myself grace, and already this week I am getting an opportunity to live what I “preach”.  Hence, this blog being a little late to the party this week.

You see, last Friday, Balance & Business with Melissa hosted the 1st Annual Galentine’s Gala in Jamestown.  It was a ladies only, semi-formal event with proceeds going to a local charity who helps women and children escaping unhealthy situations.  We had a social, dinner, raffles, and auction items.  Now, I love event planning!  It is a happy stress for me and really allows me to use my organizing skills.  Plus, this event was an awesome opportunity to bring women together and support the community.  But, as you can imagine, organizing an event like this is very time consuming.

Luckily, I started organizing and planning in October and felt like I helped myself by lining up most donations early, but I had the week of things:  where should things go-raffle or auction, moving items, setting up, venue arrangement, working with vendors, finding help, etc.  When it was all said and done, I felt like the event was successful.  We had a good turn out for the first year, people seemed to enjoy themselves, and when it is all said and done I think the shelter will get around $3,000 (still finalizing numbers).

Around this event that I am already looking forward to next year, I also lived.  I traveled Monday and jumped right back into life when I came back that night, trivia date night with my husband (which we rocked with our team), college basketball games with my daughter, a bowling make-up because we did not want to bowling during the Super Bowl, dealing cards Saturday, and enjoying football and Olympics on Sunday.  Oh, and I took some time for self-care by getting a massage and my hair done.

Last week was A LOT!  But I gave myself permission and grace to put the non-urgent and unimportant aside, except my family, and focus on this.  I was also very blessed that my family gave me the grace to commit my time and energy to this event. 

As usual, I started looking forward and planning for this week with excitement about refocusing on other aspects of my business.  I knew I needed to wrap up the Galentine’s event so I could pay vendors and get the donation over to the shelter, but I also had my usual duties to resume…like writing a blog 😂 Imagine my awe and shock when I realized my week included lunch meetings EVERY 👏🏼 SINGLE 👏🏼 DAY, a marketing meeting, Strong Women Strong Connections (not a surprise), Stutsman-Barnes Women’s Leadership Cohort (also, not a surprise), several kids things, and a no school day.  But wait, there’s more!  At 7:15am on this beautiful Monday morning, my youngest announced she is sick 😷

Here is the point of the whole story.  First, I am giving myself grace to know that illness changes things and I will have to shift.  Also, I am beyond thankful that my daughter being sick does not have to induce panic.  Instead, I live out what I teach, which is to manage your time around what is important to you. 

My family is and will always be the most important thing to me.  I know there will be things that I miss, but I am very lucky that this morning, when my daughter declared she couldn’t go to school, I could say “okay, you are what is important in this moment, and you are what gets my time today.”  Of course, I am working as she naps, but if she wakes and wants love, snuggle, or food, I’m here for it. 

I just want to carry over the message of giving yourself grace.  I say a lot of things, but I want everyone to see that I am not just blowing smoke up your @$$, I truly believe what I coach. 

Life is short, be present to the people and things that matter…that includes yourself.  Give yourself grace and care for yourself on a regular basis.  Women serve a lot of people and it is easy to let your thoughts overtake you and convince you that you are not enough.  I assure you, you are enough in whatever form you are in. 

If this resonated, take a moment today to ask yourself: Where do I need to give myself more grace right now?

You don’t need permission—but consider this your reminder.