Wednesday, May 2, 2012

It Really Is Okay





All day long this post has run through my head.  All day.  So, even though my kids are home and I don't normally write after school, I am going to send this out because maybe you need to hear it.  Maybe I do, too.

My friend.  It's okay.  It is okay.

It is okay:

-when your dinner is unbalanced and has more mac and cheese than veggies and fruit.
-when dust piles up in the corners of those hardwood floors and linoleum.
-when you cannot hear one more story or manage one more tattle without blowing your top.
-when your temper rises and your voice does, too.
-when the laundry piles up and you don't want to do it.
-when they ask you to play and you are too darn tired.
-when your sweet babies are on the computer or video games longer than you would like them to be.
-when you buy store-bought birthday treats because it is too much to ask to bake at home.
-when your children go to bed with dirty feet and mismatched sheets and last week's jammies.
-when you are late and your kids are late and stuff just does not get done.
-when homework slips by and goes unchecked.
-when you pop in a movie for a few minutes needed peace.
-when their rooms are a mess (and yours is too) and none of you get to cleaning it up.
-when their backpacks are full of odds and ends and maybe a sandwich from last week.
-your house is a mess and your sink is full and you cannot seem to get caught up.

It's okay.  It really is.

Because this is just one day or one hard week or a very hard patch and the truth is that none of this matters as much raising kids who know they are loved.  You will find a way, another day, to tend to all this stuff but today, is not that day.

So maybe today, we can let some stuff slide, let ourselves off the hook and take a deep breath.  This parenting stuff is a bunch of hard work and so much of what we stress about won't matter down the road.

But they will.  Our children will always matter.

So take a minute and look at your kids.  Ignore the mess.  Clear the list.  Wrap your weary arms around them and kiss their little heads.  Let them see you smile.  

Because it really is okay.

Blessings on your day.

5 comments:

Stephanie said...

Ahhhh.....thanks for listening to the prompting that made you write this. I think we need to be reminded or give ourselves permission to let a few things go and that it's okay that everything isn't always perfect and in place.

Jason and Kate van den Brink said...

thank you. : )

Unknown said...

Hello Nadia! I agree. Our children will ALWAYS matter. The parent-child relationship is a very precious thing. And as parents, we will do everything in our power to protect this bond. Your story on how you ignore the mess on your kitchen sink is very inspiring. It only shows that you are a loving mother to your kids. But be sure to mind your sink!

Lovella Cushman

Darryl Iorio said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Darryl Iorio said...

When it comes to your kids, you always have that unexplainable reserve of energy that allows you to do activities with them. I am a father of four, and it gets pretty tiring at times when they all just want to play. However, I sometimes let go of duties at work to spend the day with them. You have to set your priorities right and try to maintain a balanced lifestyle between your kids and duties at home. Just don’t forget to clean that sink to prevent buildup of materials that could lead to clogging. It’s much better to bond with the kids when you don’t have these kinds of stuff bugging you.


Darryl Iorio