This week has been rough. It was the first week in months that I wasn't working on a super big project with a deadline quickly approaching. The kids were fighting with each other and with us about everything. It was hot and sticky. Paige is on summer vacation and is already bored. I said good bye to baby L and to Miss A (a 2 year old I was babysitting) until next school year, and although I'm going to like having time just with my family, I love those little girls and will miss them terribly. Some relationships I have are strained, and I'm sure most of it is me being self-centered. My house is a disaster; the laundry is backed up, the kitchen counters are MIA, and with potty training Ryan, the house reeks...thankfully I seem to be the only one who can smell it, but that doesn't make breathing any easier for myself.
So with it being Friday night, I'm completely drained. After dinner I was sitting on the couch, frustrated with the world and having a pity party.
That's when my sweet little Ryan comes up to me, looks up at me with those baby blue eyes, and takes my hand.
"Dance wif me? Dance?"
I get up off the couch, and we "dance"; for a 2 year old, that just means walking around in a circle, holding hands, and moving your head to the music...but it was the sweetest thing that I've seen in awhile. When we're done, he gives me a big kiss and a hug, says "Luff you, Mommy", then runs off to play.
It made me realize that although life is hard and stressful, it's so easy to get caught up in it all that I miss a lot of the little things. I could have easily sat and grumbled some more and missed out on dancing with my little boy. Life is passing by too fast, and some day Ryan's not going to want to dance with me, much less hug or kiss me...or even acknowledge my existence. I need to start making my family and the little things more of a priority; I don't know how long I'll have them (forever, please, God!), and I need to take advantage of every opportunity and moment I can get.
How do you balance life and finding time to enjoy those little things? What little things have you experienced this week?
This is totally normal Shawna. You are an amazing mother, that shows in your children! I struggle to not let stress consume me, and to not get caught up with little thing that in the long run aren't important. To be quite honest I down right fail at it a good portion of the time, but I try to remember these words....this to shall pass, it reminds me the little stresses in life will eventually work out and go away, but so will the little moments with my kids so you just have to enjoy the good and get through the not so good!
ReplyDeleteIn the words of Dori just keep swimming!
~Cheryl
Thank you, Cheryl! You are an amazing mom as well, and you always seem like you always have everything under control. You amaze me, my dear blog stalker friend! <3
DeleteAww, how sweet! My life has been stressful lately too. Between packing up my apartment for the first time in over 3 years, to finding a moving company that sounds reliable and trustworthy, to finding a new place to live, to teaching my bosses how to do my job after I'm gone, etc., I'm incredibly stressed! Nothing has happened according to my timeline, and I'm not sure if things are going to go according to plan from here on out. But this week, probably the sweetest thing that happened was I went to check my mail and noticed a card from a certain someone... just a note to say congratulations and to wish me luck. It made my week! And even though things are stressful now, I know they will some how work out. I'll just keep trying, and eventually things will work out as they should. Things will work out for you too gf! :-) Keep smiling.
ReplyDeleteSo when is the big moving day? You start the new job on the 9th, right? I wish we lived closer so I could help you!!! So glad you got a card in the mail; brownie points from me!!!!! Love you, gf <3
DeleteI guess that is why children are called blessings.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
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