Sorry, NO.

For the second Sunday in a row I was telling the same person that once again this week was too full to fit in one more thing...so, yeah no.

"Well it sounds like you need to re-evaluate your priorities", they rattled

I'm pretty sure they were trying to be funny, only I didn't laugh and had to turn away to hide my tears.

I miss the past sometimes. When our family could run at full speed, when saying yes was hardly ever a problem. When I never felt compelled to explain our circumstances or even had to.

I'm sure the  priority sheriff (I too, am trying to be funny :)) knows little to nothing about our family or our not always visible struggles. That stability is a tight rope act for us and  that every commitment we make comes with a price, we cannot always afford to pay. They simply don't know and I couldn't find the words to explain. Someday, as life has a longer opportunity to teach them, they will learn to understand the hurt, pain, fear and sorrow that are often hidden in a "no" and reach out to comfort instead.

We all need to say no sometimes and we all need to let others do the same.