Back from the playground much later than expected on this beautiful, spring day, I rush around the house, trying to accomplish the items on my to-do list in a concentrated amount of time. I put a pan of rice on the stove, run downstairs to put my load of laundry in the dryer, and try to vacuum the kitchen floor before dinner. (MOM! Where are my Ariel flip-flops!!!) Vacuuming stops for a minute as I pull the flip-flops out of the last place she left them…the mini-van. Vacuuming resumes. I know that food will fall on the floor again at dinnertime, but all the gathering crumbs in the corners have been bothering me for days.
It has been a full day; MOPS meeting, watching a friend’s children, trying to take advantage of the nice weather. How did I end up here, as an overwhelmed, overly-scheduled suburban mom?
I think about the nice, elderly couple who live down the street from me. I see them reading the morning and evening paper in their easy chairs by the large, bay window. They walk to morning mass together on Sundays. I even saw them take a leisurely bike ride this past weekend.
I sometimes wish to switch places with them; to have time to be with my husband, to relax and enjoy life.
But perhaps they are looking at my noisy, boisterous family… and wishing the same.
Oh sweetheart…it passes toooooooooooo quickly, just soak it all in, you will sooooooooooooo miss it! I pick up the pictures from those years where there didn't seem to be breathing room, when I had five in sports and the calendar was full of activities and I wasn't sure if we would ever have a clean house…now I some times get bored and the quite, well too quite…and I still have two at home and miss the other four's footsteps and their voices.Soak it in!!! Find that nice little corner of the room and set and watch it all….it passes tooooooooooooo quickly.Hugs!!!
I often feel the same way. Rushing. Always rushing, and sometimes it gets me nowhere. This piece resonates with me in a large way. And you are most likely correct, my mother in law is always telling me to cherish these rushed moments. PS. vacuuming & laundry never ends, eh?!
Oh, I LOVE this, Ginny! I feel the same way when I pass by people reading or writing in a coffee shop as I wrangle and wrestle a toddler and preschooler. But maybe they are wishing the same thing. Power of perspective. Beautiful BPM!!!
So true!
I agree with all of the above — great perspective, Ginny! I especially love how you compared your current life with the elderly couple on your street. We've had so many older couples approach us with our boisterous kids and tell us how much they missed those crazy, chaotic days with their grown children. Definitely a paradigm shift!
They were probably rushed of their feet when they were our age! Although taking some time out from everything every once in a while is always good.(Or you could ask them for a coffee some day and ask them their secret!)
Oh, I could have written this post!! sometimes all I see is the rushing wind as it goes by. I really need a few moments to rest and feel peace. I have several grown children, and a few still at home, and I promise that it all goes by so very fast!
I have the very same thoughts when I spy people who seem to have a much simpler life than I. But I am willing to bet that yes, they feel some envy looking at us crazy moms!
I absolutely know the feeling! I ran into a friend from childhood at the grocery store yesterday who echoed the same sentiments as well. Not a day goes by that I'm not aware of trying to keep things simple!
I am reminded of the saying we don't know what we've got until it's gone. Some days I feel so overwhelmed that I just want to scream and then I realize that oldest is 12 and soon she will be leaving. Off to college. Off to the rest of her life. I don't want to be so overwhelmed that I miss it.
Ginny, Great post and insights comparing the two situations. I guess I am somewhere in between… It's like the old saying, "the grass is always greener…" Enjoy the life you have now, whatever stage you are in.
Yes! I feel this way sometimes. Than sometimes also I sit in church with my squirming and bouncing children and I look at the family in front of me with all big (teenagers)and I can't imagine (at all!) having a life without small children.
I think we all feel this way sometimes but when it boils right down to it, we all know that this is the "fabric" of our lives, our kids, as chaotic as it may get, overwhelming as it might be most days, our family….there is nothing better, more rewarding in the end. One day you will miss you it.
This is one of my fav BPMs, so I'm adding it to our best of list. š xxoo Thanks for being such a great part of our community.