The Many Hats We Wear

We all juggle many different responsibilities in our lives. As a result, we each wear many different kinds of hats. We wear relational hats as parents, wives or husbands, children and friends. We wear hats that indicate our lifework: employees, homemakers, students and volunteers. How we spend our free time even requires a different type of hat. Each hat represents a unique title and role, each with its own challenges and responsibilities.

This past weekend I spoke at our church's ladies' retreat. On the first night we talked about the hats we wear. A few of my hats include: wife, daughter, friend, preschool teacher, writer, college student, Bookpals volunteer and church volunteer. This past year I took off a large hat when Kevin's grandmother died and I no longer am responsible for going to the doctor, shopping and visiting her.

After I spoke, I had the ladies each make a list of the hats they wore. The results were eye-opening and sparked many conversations throughout the weekend.

Some women were relieved to discover that they already were wearing plenty of hats and they didn't need to feel guilty about saying "no" to other responsibilities. Other women were in new seasons of retirement or children leaving home and wondered what new hats were in their future.

Others wondered what to do when a hat they wanted to still wear was ripped off their heads through divorce, unemployment, death, or broken relationships.

Others wanted to reduce the number hats they wore but felt they had already said "no" to all the extras in their lives and they were still overloaded.

It is a continual challenge to live an intentional life. Jesus says in a prayer to his Father, I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do (John 17:4). If how we live our days is ultimately how we live our lives, then I think it is appropriate to add the word today at the end of that sentence: I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do -  today.

That is my ultimate goal.

How many hats are you juggling today?