A couple months ago when presented an opportunity to travel with my church's music ministry to a conference in Connecticut this month, I was gung-ho.

On top of the enriching experience the conference was offering, I also would have the opportunity to spend some time with my sisters, who also were planning to attend as much of the conference as their schedules would allow. And, I'd get to share some time with my pals from church. It was all sounding so perfect.

Then, one by one, the commitments for that weekend started rolling in. My husband had scheduled a fence installation for friends of ours for that weekend. Our daughter had soccer practice and team photos at 11:15 a.m. Our son's baseball game was set for 11 a.m. And it also was the weekend of the fishing tournament our son won Best Sportsman at last year.

But I had made a commitment to my church group to the point where my sister would be hosting some of us in her home. So I had to find a way to make everything run smoothly in my absence. Thankfully, the fence job got postponed. A quick phone call to a friend's mom on the soccer team and voila ... my husband didn't have to be in three places at the same time.

For moms (and dads), it can sometimes seem impossible to get to do things (like my church conference) that actually add value to our lives. Leaving our spouses to do all the juggling with the kids while we recharge our batteries can make us feel a bit guilty about our getaway. I think as long as your spouse knows it goes both ways, there won't be any animosity. We should encourage our spouses to take opportunities for a little healthy getaway.