I think this is something that all of us struggle with on a daily basis. We’re so busy. Right? Meals, house, work, baths, repeat. Even going grocery shopping can be a minefield. Organic? Is fresh-frozen better than fresh? Sweetener or cane sugar, or what about HFCS? and THAT is just picking out strawberries. Everything we do seems to be super ‘important’, or so it seems. Super nanny tells us how to raise our kids, reality shows from ‘fauxlebrities’ that have maids and interior decorators make us think that our house is in terrible shape because you can’t wipe a white glove under your lampshade, wars in countries we’ve never heard of touch our hearts but make us feel weak and useless. Don’t even get me started on the daily politics we hear all around us. Sure, policies might change from person to person, but in the end, how you dealt with the life you are given is the true test of your character, not for whom your ballot was cast.
Is any of it important? I mean, yes on some levels, wars suck, but 99% of the time the best we can do is be aware and hope it doesn’t happen on our turf. One person can’t feed the multitudes or simultaneously raise a family and keep a house clean on their own. Something has to give. Or you’re skimming your kids when you should be skimming your house for potential flesh eating bacteria and then moving on with REAL LIFE. Reality tv is not real life. These people have make-up artists and assistants by the dozen to make it all look ‘just so’. Don’t fall into that trap, because it is NOT important. Is one purchase of frozen berries over fresh really going to make a difference? I’m thinking not. Perhaps choosing fast food five times a week ordering the extra large sugared soda and greasy burger/fries combo is not the best idea, but with everyday stuff, look for cheap and plentiful and choose things that have a basis in nature.
In the end, what’s important is our lives. Our real lives. Not our best face we show at church, not our worst face we see in the mirror when we’re angry and have locked the door to shut out the whining for 2 minutes, but everything in between. Living for those brief moments of ‘ahh’ when your 3 year old pronounces a hard word, or your baby crawls faster than you would expect and pops around the corner with a big ‘look at me, I’m so proud of myself’ smile on her face, or your husband comes home and is just HAPPY because he’s with his family. We should live for those happy moments, those fist pumps, those memory makers, those golden shining times..and we should look for them harder. Make more moments golden, not because you manufacture a perfect picture for the holiday card, but because you embrace the dirt on your floor and giggle at the good time your kid had playing outside. Embrace that your child says a prayer, not that you can’t get a word she’s saying, because she’s learning, moving forward, becoming who SHE is going to be. Enjoy the moments that are important. Take a deep breath, and smile, and save the less important stuff for later. It will always be there, but these golden moments are so fleeting. Be present in them.
There’s a link on my blog this morning to an article along the same lines as your post.
Although it’s easy to read stuff like this, nod along and go, ‘Yeah!’ it’s not always so easy to relax, huh?
(((Hugggggs)))
🙂