I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been guilty of looking at my day-to-day as some kind of groundhog day where the most important thing I do is scrub little boy urine off of the toilet….wall…bathtub….boy moms, you know what I’m talking about. But, recently something happened where my perspective shifted.
As many people are during this quarantine chapter, we are making some changes around the house. One of those includes painting a couple rooms and switching some furniture around. So, one morning I set my energy to clearing off our bed and around it to make taking it apart and moving it easier for my husband. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like much. He could have easily done it himself or we could have done it together, but I wanted to set him up for success.
I hadn’t thought about this concept in quite a while. We unpacked it quite a bit throughout my education classes in college in relation to students and teachers. And, Jonathan and I have implemented it throughout our parenting style. But, I truly believe it’s the key to SO MUCH MORE. Here’s my thinking:
What if everything I do has a complimentary effect? What if I am not the victim of mess and chaos in my home, but the climate setter, the thermostat? What if it really is true that I “get to” instead of “have to”? Or even better, what if I am “blessed to” instead of “get to”? It sounds like pretty standard reasoning, but I think we as women, moms, parents are blinded by the to-do lists, worry, anxiety, and the sometimes monotony of our lives.
We forget about the simple – The easy.
I am not cleaning a table. I am preparing the way for family time and really, really, really bad dad jokes.
I am not vacuuming the living room. I am setting the stage for the dance party of the century.
I am not doing 787878 loads of laundry. I am thanking the Lord that I am able to clothe my children and praying that He would be with them, protecting them throughout their days – even as they completely and utterly DESTROY each outfit.
I am not mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, breaking down boxes for recycling. I am giving my husband the gift of rest and time with his children.
And even if I am just chasing kiddos and cleaning messes just to keep up with the day, it’s never “just that”. Their lives – my life is made up of these small moments. All the little “justs” are everything we are made of.
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