It Doesn't Have to Be This Way...

Some days are hard. When I start my day surrounded by crabby, tired children, it wears on me. When I listen to them fuss at each other, speak disrespectfully to one another and argue with me, I wonder how it got this way.

Some days are hard. When homework is "forgotten" and chores are undone, when beds are mussed and rooms are messed, when the dog hasn't been fed and the garbage is still full, I wonder how it got this way.

It's been a long week here. Way too much belly-gazing, and not enough work accomplished. It has been one of those weeks that feels like it runs me, instead of the other way around, and I am weary. There were things I wanted to get done... things I wanted to take care of... Now, it's Friday and my laundry room floor has gone missing, the kitchen is a mess, leaves blew in the backdoor and are covering the carpet and the dog needs a bath. My chapters are not done and I am left wondering what happened to all the time that this week held. Does that ever happen to you?

And yet... when I think about it... there may be another way to look at it.

The weather warmed up this week. My crocuses and daffodils bloomed and the kids played outside. We left the back door open to allow for a breeze and the leaves came in on the happy feet of my barefoot children.

Yes, chores went undone... because the wonder of warmth called to my kids and they ran in the sunshine with smiles on their faces. Noah shot baskets til the sun went down and Benjamin threw a ball to the dog for hours on end. Elizabeth rode the swings for ages, her hair flying back and forth on the breeze. Josiah challenged himself, again and again to figure out how to balance on a bike with only two, wobbly wheels.

The whole of the week was different. But, we laughed a lot. And they played a lot. And while backpacks were thrown haphazardly inside the front door, it was because they were in hurry to get themselves back outside.

And, I loved watching them. I love when they are outside and no one is telling them what to do. I love when they run for the sake of running and yell just to hear their own sound. I love when they come together to create a game or walk the dog or shoot some hoops.

It's supposed to snow tomorrow. And the next day. Totally normal for mid-March in Illinois. And when it does, we will make the beds and vacuum the leaves and take care of all that was set aside this week. Because warm or not, it still needs to be done... But, the truth is it didn't have to be done right then.

I started the week wondering why it has to be this way... the mess, the noise, the things left behind. I am ending the week grateful for what it was. It may not have been what I expected... but what we were given was better... richer... and a lot more fun to watch.

Blessings on your day!


::A huge thank you to those who commented on yesterday's post. Your words helped more than you know. Thank you!::