28516. A Day in a Life with Boundaries
R
emember Sherrie from chapter one? She stumbled through
the day in a haphazard, out-of-control fashion. Imagine,
now, that Sherrie has read this book. She’s decided to restruc-
ture her life within the clear boundaries we’ve outlined. Her day
is now characterized by freedom, self-control, and intimacy.
Let’s take a peek in on her life with boundaries:6:00 A.M.
The alarm sounded. Sherrie reached over and turned it off.
I’ll bet I can do without this alarm, she thought to herself. I’ve
been awake for five minutes already. Getting seven or eight
hours of sleep had long been a fantasy of Sherrie’s—one which
she’d always felt was unrealistic with a family.
Yet, it had begun to happen. The kids went to bed earlier
now that she and Walt had begun setting better time limits with
them. She and Walt even got a few minutes to relax together
before bed.
The sleep goal didn’t come without its price, however. Like the
other night when Sherrie’s mother had once again made her unex-
pected surprise visit. This time, she showed up at a time when
Sherrie had to work on a science fair project with her son, Todd.
It had been one of the hardest things Sherrie ever had to say.
“Mom, I want to visit with you. But this is a really bad time. I’m
helping Todd finish up his solar system project, and he needs my