The Things That Get in the Way of Reading

So, I love reading.  I have tons of books I want to read.  I could literally spend every single minute reading and still never read all the books.  

this picture is my heaven

But, life gets in the way.  

Sometimes I get frustrated at the things that take me away from my reading and sometimes I lean into them, realizing that those are the actual parts of my life.  Seems obvious but it's not for me.

What's taking me away from reading?  Here they are, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  

The Good

Family.  I have to put down my book and hang out with the kids, listen to their stories, and help them with their homework.  I get to have date night with my husband and look into his eyes instead of reading more pages.  This reason for putting my books aside is the most obvious and best.

doing homework with the kids led me to find this little gem

Dog.  We have a big dog and she needs attention and walks.  Often, I sit on the couch and read while she sits on my feet, keeping them warm.  But, it's important for me to close the book and go walk.  These walks keep me from my books but they also keep me healthy and happy and they are totally worth it.

this girl needs to walk

Writing.  It's hard to sit down and actually write but I always feel better after.  I tell myself "good writers are good readers" and try to skip it in favor of my TBR stack.  But writing is important for my brain and I need space for it.  

The Bad

Cleaning.  Sometimes I ignore it because we all know it will always be there.  However, there are days that we are all out of clean clothes or the dishes have piled up and I have to face the music or we will be eating dinner with our hands.  This is necessary but not wonderful. 

Driving.  This season finds me driving here and there and everywhere.  The driving is exhausting and a means to an end.  I used to listen to books in the car but it got too complicated with kids in tow: they hated my books, I was worried about sexy scenes or bad words, and car time is often the time when the kids WANT to talk.

school pick up lines are my jam

TV.  TV isn't really bad.  But it's not really good or ugly either.  I'll just file it here.  At night I see people posting about reading until late into the night but I just can't hang.  There is nothing I love more than falling asleep with the TV on.  After a long day, when I get into my bed it's only minutes before I am out for the night.  And I just love my shows!

The Ugly

Dealing with teens.  I'm separating this from family.  Because it can be ugly.  Ugly but necessary.  Much of my interaction with my teens requires thought and discussion.  I like to run away and hide from problems and I often run to books.  Instead of picking up a book, I have to force myself to spend hours talking and figuring things out.

this quote was my phone wallpaper for months because I need this reminder.  it's good for littles and bigs

My Phone.  I spend far too much time on my phone these days.  Just checking in on facebook, instagram, and twitter.  And then, what's the weather tomorrow?  Let me check.  Oh, my email too.  Hmm, maybe I need to review my calendar for the next five days to see if I have anything important on the horizon.  Wait, did I respond to that text from my friend...UGH.  I can spend so much time on my phone instead of reading.  This one is ugly because it is unnecessary.  I could just set aside 20 minutes a day to devote to social media but instead I review it many times and then realize I could have been reading instead of watching those insta-stories...

so many books, so little time

What keeps you from reading?  Anything on my list resonate with you?