You know, you are trying to get everyone ready for school/work and your kids WON'T put on their underwear no matter how many times you scream, "get your underwear on!!" Then you finally realize that there are no clean underwear to be found. Great, what now?
As you can see from my previous post this happens to me quite a bit. Some people (AKA 'the peanut gallery') would say this has do with my lack of planning but I don't see it. I plan on looking in to this theory at some point but I am too busy at the moment to worry about it. Now I know that the majority of the events below couldn't have been avoided and all of these things proved very valuable in the short and long term but I have noticed a theme in my somewhat short stint as an 'adult'. Smooth sailing only lasts so long no matter how hard you try, so you should probably try.
Although I don't think I will ever be accused of being a 'planner', I have began to see how much just a little forethought can drastically reduce the amount of screaming and crying that occurs when Mommy is late for work, dinner or just about anything. (the above mention screaming/crying is in reference to my screaming/crying, when this starts the males in the house huddle together for protection) For example, I know that having clothes laid out (mine especially), the car loaded and the coffeepot on auto-brew makes our family's morning MUCH easier but for some reason I have to force myself to complete these actions nightly.
WHY?
Why when I know something is going to make my life easier, and potentially prevent long term mental scars to those around me, do I even have to think twice? What is the aversion to easy?
I am sure that I could list example after example after example of the many times that the lack of planning, or forethought, has caused pain for me or others. However, I think I will just ponder these many examples internally and move forward with a simple, "it has happened enough for me to know better, so you would think I would know better."
When I worked as a Social Worker my primary role was to help the parents of the children that were being served by the agency where I was employed. I went into this position full of energy and excitement ready to change the world. I found out very quickly the world wasn't interested in changing. No matter how hard I worked to get a job for a parent or to get a bill paid or a car repaired or whatever need met, the same need was waiting next month. I would get SO frustrated when I was approached repeatedly for a need that with a little 'planning' or 'forethought' could have been handled without my involvement. But month after month it was the same requests over and over. Why, when life could be so much easier, did they not see the BIG picture? Why didn't they understand that if they would take the advise I was giving them and run with it, things would gradually get better?
Some things are SOO much easier in word than in practice. =)
We want life to be easy. As a wife, mother and woman I can honestly say I want life to be easy without having to work at it! I know that work is required to be successful, but I would absolutely love if it wasn't required at EVERY turn. I would love to wake up each morning to my bright faced boys smiling at me as they say, "Good Morning Mommy, we are so excited about getting this day started that we are already dressed and ready for breakfast...we'll meet you in the kitchen, but take your time we don't want to rush you...."
I know this is a HUGE stretch but you get the gist.
The reason that planning for the morning makes me less of a banshee is because mornings at our house are NEVER going to occur as I described above. They are going to be rushed at best and a total disaster of tears and screams at worst. The reason that I have to force myself to plan is because I would like to think I don't have to.
How wonderful would it be if we didn't have to plan, think ahead or prepare for the future?
It would be nice but that is not the world we live in, in this world we must be prepared to face the grumpy children of the morning, the disasters of the workplace and piles of dishes and laundry that await when we get home. But with a little planning we may be able to face these things with a calm heart and peace of mind knowing that it is going to get easier, even if it is gradually.
The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands...
Deut. 28:12
EmJ
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