I don't know about y'all, but I won't be one bit sad when this year is over! I spent a lot of this past week sulking to myself. We ended up choosing not to send the kids back to in-person school, and did virtual learning last week and will continue with it until at least the end of the semester. When we decided this, I had an internal (Aaron may protest that it was sometimes external) pity party. I was feeling like we had just reached a new normal that was working for us. The kids were loving school, I had found a rhythm at home and everyone was thriving. Now, we are back to dirty looks, rolled eyes, me being made very aware of the fact that I have little patience and few skills in my arsenal to teach second-grade math. (JUST LINE UP THE DANG NUMBERS AND ADD THE ONES AND THEN THE TENS, KID! DO NOT! I REPEAT, DO NOT BREAK IT DOWN INTO MULTIPLE DIGITS BY PLACE VALUE! <Does anyone else have this conversation with their kids?>) I was feeling it so strong, that my snarky, sarcastic self decided to make these as holiday gifts for our neighbors. Yes, it is a roll of toilet paper, and the tags say, "We wish you a Merry Christmas and a less crappy New Year. Love, The Burch Family". (But seriously, these are both adorable and hilarious, right?) This morning I laid in bed and thought about what my hopes are for this week. Anyone who knows me knows that I adore my children. I genuinely love hanging out with them because I think that they're really cool little humans. They teach me so much, and continually change my perspective and my perception of what is around me. They have ideas and thoughts and dreams, and when I'm not stressed about things in the periphery I love being invited onto the ride with them. I realized that most of the things that I have been worried about aren't even real yet...and may not even become real. I realized that all of the things that made me not enjoy last week are things that didn't even happen. Yes, my kids gave some attitude, but school went fine. They completed what they needed to, and we had time to do some fun activities as well. I have come up with a short list of things to help us enjoy the next two weeks, rather than trudging through ominously. If you are having difficulty finding joy in the day-to-day, I hope that these will help you as well. 1. Start the day centered. 2. Have something to look forward to every day. 3. Distinguish FACT from FICTION. 4. Set a time-limit on work. 5. LET GO! Start the day centered. I know that my days go smoother when I begin with some time centering myself. This could be through stretching, deep breathing, meditation, working out, or even sitting on the patio with a cup of coffee. It helps me to set my intention for the day, to clear my mind, and to remember to let go of things that are out of my control. (Also, if you don't follow @harmony.health.and.wellness on Instagram, she is doing a free 31 day wellness challenge that has been really helpful for me this past week.) Have something to look forward to every day. I think that what makes "adulting" so disappointing is that it's not very fun. We work, we check of lists of things that we have to do, but don't want to do, and we fail to make time to see the beautiful things all around us. Today, the kids and I are looking at the calendar and writing something on each day that we want to do. It can be as simple as making a fort in the living room and watching a movie together, mailing Christmas cards to cousins, or driving around and looking at Christmas lights. Anything that connects us to what we value is perfect! Distinguish FACT from FICTION. If you are someone who has anxiety, this is an important one. When you have a worrisome thought creep in, look at it and say, "is this even true?" In my case, most of the time it isn't. I worry about things that may or may not be true, but they're usually things in the future. I do not have control over the future, so it's best for me to call myself out on the BS, and tell my negative thoughts to take a hike. Set a time-limit on work. This goes back to number 2. We cannot find joy in our lives when we are constantly working. (I mean both paid and unpaid work). We must make time for play and rest because both things invigorate us. LET GO of the things that aren't important. This past week my kids made salt dough ornaments. It was a three-day affair. One day for making and baking. One day for painting, and one day for adding string and ribbon. I had visions of these gorgeous white, professional, pinterest-grade ornaments. And then my kids got involved. To say they weren't Etsy-level would be the understatement of the century. I could quickly see that they were going to look less like Pottery Barn, and more like a 6 and 8 year old made them. (Go figure.) As the ornament production evolved I could see how much they were enjoying the process. They were proud of their work. And as I looked at the finished product, my heart swelled with love my children and their creativity. I could think of many many more things to add to this list that would be beneficial for my body, mind and relationships. But, if you read my post last week you'll know that I try not to make to-do lists. The purpose of this isn't to have things to check off as much as it is to remember what is most important. Take time to laugh. Don't take life so seriously. One of my favorite songs is "the heart of life" by John Mayer. It's so so good! If you've never heard it, you can give it a listen here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsAzxYW_ZGk "Pain throws your heart to the ground. Love turns the whole thing around. No, it won't all go the way it should But, I know the heart of life is good." I hope that you can find ways to enjoy this good, beautiful life. You only get one, so choose joy and spread the good!
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who we areSpread the Good: Three sisters embracing the human experience, ups and downs included, inviting others to join the celebration.
AuthorsThree sisters, three years apart, three words: Spread the Good Archives
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