Sometimes I’m just tired of the running.
Tired of shuffling kids through all the To-Do’s.
Put on shoes. Grab the bag. Get in the van.
Buckle seatbelt,
unbuckle seatbelt,
buckle seatbelt again.
My youngest, Paige, a die-hard Home-Body, has been known to burst into tears and melt off the couch onto the floor from being told that we have an errand to run.
“But why can’t I just stay home by myself?” She’ll wail.
“Because you are seven, and your eyes sparkled a little too much at the fire on our last camping trip for my liking.
I have to keep my eye on you.”
Paige will do anything to just stay home.
The last time I told her we were only doing one errand and wouldn’t even need to get out of the car, she left her shoes at home secretly as an insurance policy against any other unexpected stops.
I tried to make one, as I normally do,
when from the back seat came her voice:
“We can’t go here. I don’t hab my shoes.”
I looked to see bare feet.
She looked to express that her plan did not disappoint.
This modern life just has so much GOING in it.
Sometimes it feels like all we ever do.
We have created a culture that holds a long whip.
We run without caring where we’re going.
Trying to plan a get-together with other mom friends feels close to impossible these days.
ME: “What about Wednesday?”
FRIEND: “I can’t Wednesday. Wednesday we’ve got Karate, a fake ‘Chopped’ competition, survivalist knot-tying class, and dinner with Grandma.
Looks like I’m only free three Saturdays from now from 3:15-5:30, with a conference call scheduled in the middle.”
ME: “Ohhhhhh. I wish I could, but that would conflict with my audiology appointment, haircut, and pottery painting on horseback birthday party for a set of twins we barely know.”
So this weekend, after reaching my limit with it all,
I did the very best thing.
I called a “Do Nothing Day.”
I wish I had recorded the announcement of it.
The girls acted like it was Christmas.
“Wait. You mean, like, ALL day?!” Paige asked, side-eyeing me.
“All day.” I promised her.
Still not trusting, she held out her pinkie.
But Sunday, holding to that promise,
I awoke and changed out of my pajamas into DIFFERENT PAJAMAS;
My “Dress pajamas,” if you will,
because that is a thing you can do when you are the adult.
On this day no one combed their hair or washed a single dish.
We spent it, instead, piled together covered in pets on the couch all wearing cotton and watching movies that we had all seen before.
I put my phone down more on Sunday –
A different kind of rest.
I rubbed cozy little heads,
and laughed a whole lot with my girls.
I noted the beauty of their growing.
We made hot chocolate with tall pillars of whipped cream that had first been sprayed in every open mouth, and I said yes to the sprinkles
because, after all, there are many types of needs.
I baked banana bread from scratch and placed warm slivers into open hands.
I lit a candles, and kept the lights low.
In the evening, when it started to drizzle,
we took a walk and felt the light rain on our skin,
but didn’t let it turn us back.
We breathed in the smell of rain on the asphalt, and smiled at the way that that perfect smell makes you feel.
We listened more this Sunday.
We breathed slower this Sunday.
We let ourselves be renewed.
We had just pushed pause.
No laundry got folded, and the trash piled up.
No meal plan was conquered,
everything was wrinkled,
and no kid even bathed.
Instead, we chose something different from our usual pace,
and you know what the funny thing was?
Just a tiny bit of slowing made that day feel three times as long.
Allowing ourselves that entire day was as relaxing as any three day weekend away.
Like we could have fit in absolutely anything we had wanted to.
It made me realize that we all think our racing around will help us get so much more done,
but all we are really doing is
shortening our lives
and our tempers, at the same time.
I recommend declaring a “Do Nothing Day.”
In doing nothing,
somehow so much gets done.
Sunday was a reminder of how easy it is
to get caught up in the DOING
as family life presses your head to the ground,
But I want my girls to know about BEING,
and that stillness is as important
as all of the
running around.
This article was written by a guest blogger. The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not reflect the opinions of Bob Lacey, Sheri Lynch or the Bob & Sheri show.
Mom Outnumbered
Hi! My name is Kerri Green; Wife to Justin, and mother to four highly entertaining daughters -Alena, Chloe, Tessa, and Paige. I am an artist, a writer, a daycare provider, a lover of people, a believer that there is humor and beauty in all things, and the author of Mom Outnumbered; a blog about real family life, and my observations of it. My goal is to make people laugh, to be there for them when they cry, and most importantly, to let them know that they are not at all alone in this up and down world. I live with my family in Sebastopol California, and I am opening the window into our life. So welcome! Come in. Sit down. Just please don’t mind the mysterious wet spots.
