Weeding Therapy
Today was definitely a Monday. I found myself wishing several times that I could crawl back in bed, turn back the clock and just start all over. Never mind all the justified reasons for everyone feeling a little extra grumpy and 'on edge' this morning...suffice it to say, by mid-morning we were all ready for a 're-set'.
Sometimes, I'm able to pick up on all those internal and external cues and sense the need to switch things up and start over together.
Other times, I oh-so-humanly forget. Determined to prevail against the daily detractors and distractors, I hold all the faster to my schedule and plow ahead with a sigh and a 'there's no going back now' kind of attitude. Sometimes it all works out fine. But other times, it just plain backfires.
Guess which kind today was?
Where's the "Groundhog Day Re-do button" when you need it? :)
By 4 pm I was desperate for some kind of escape and distraction. Preferably a productive one. The bigger kids were in quiet time so I just brought the littles outside in the front yard for some run around time with trucks and scooters. And then, of course, I spotted the weeds. One of my tried-and-true therapies. I could compose an ode to those weeds. At first glance they were yet another reminder of one more thing I was eternally behind on, and it only made me grumpier to look at them.
But then (with some heavenly help no doubt), I remembered my goal to have more gratitude in my thoughts. I instinctively reached down, and pulled a weed. It felt good. I thought of how grateful I was to have a yard in which to actually grow things in. Then I thought of something else to be thankful for. Pulled another weed. Planted another grateful thought. Dozens of pulled weeds and thankful thoughts later, I felt 200% better. C even got into helping me gather weeds with his little dump truck. I was able to be fully present with my little people again. Then, one of my older kids who had been the subject of so much earlier frustration came outside. I could tell he could tell that I was doing better. He could tell I could tell he was doing better. I asked him if he was ready to start having a good day, and got a yes answer!
It was all uphill (or downhill, depending on your perspective) from there. All of his holdups were magically gone. He was the most compliant, delightful child ever, completing the chores he'd resisted doing all day. We even had one of the best piano lessons together ever. What happened??
Tonight, when I sat down to talk about it with Nate after kids were in bed, I realized in a 'duh' kind of way - it took all day for me to finally do what I should have done this morning when the 'atmosphere' in our home became too cloudy. To literally, seek the sunshine so I could reflect it to my kids. Whatever form that might be. Just do something to bring the JOY back. Often for us that comes in the form of music, or dancing, or some kind of movement break. Or I will simply go lie down for a few minutes and pray. Or read. Or journal. Or play piano. Or heaven forbid - clean (if I'm really out of ideas).
But today was one of those days when none of those seemed to work. I realized that what we really needed was literally SUN. We needed to SEE and FEEL the source of light, not just imagine it. To simply GO OUTSIDE and drink in God's beauty and grace in some small corner of His creation. And trust that He, in his infinite goodness and gentleness, would provide the "weather change" our hearts needed.
And surprisingly for me, today, that beautiful change came in the form of weeds.
Thank you, God.
Sometimes, I'm able to pick up on all those internal and external cues and sense the need to switch things up and start over together.
Other times, I oh-so-humanly forget. Determined to prevail against the daily detractors and distractors, I hold all the faster to my schedule and plow ahead with a sigh and a 'there's no going back now' kind of attitude. Sometimes it all works out fine. But other times, it just plain backfires.
Guess which kind today was?
Where's the "Groundhog Day Re-do button" when you need it? :)
By 4 pm I was desperate for some kind of escape and distraction. Preferably a productive one. The bigger kids were in quiet time so I just brought the littles outside in the front yard for some run around time with trucks and scooters. And then, of course, I spotted the weeds. One of my tried-and-true therapies. I could compose an ode to those weeds. At first glance they were yet another reminder of one more thing I was eternally behind on, and it only made me grumpier to look at them.
But then (with some heavenly help no doubt), I remembered my goal to have more gratitude in my thoughts. I instinctively reached down, and pulled a weed. It felt good. I thought of how grateful I was to have a yard in which to actually grow things in. Then I thought of something else to be thankful for. Pulled another weed. Planted another grateful thought. Dozens of pulled weeds and thankful thoughts later, I felt 200% better. C even got into helping me gather weeds with his little dump truck. I was able to be fully present with my little people again. Then, one of my older kids who had been the subject of so much earlier frustration came outside. I could tell he could tell that I was doing better. He could tell I could tell he was doing better. I asked him if he was ready to start having a good day, and got a yes answer!
It was all uphill (or downhill, depending on your perspective) from there. All of his holdups were magically gone. He was the most compliant, delightful child ever, completing the chores he'd resisted doing all day. We even had one of the best piano lessons together ever. What happened??
Tonight, when I sat down to talk about it with Nate after kids were in bed, I realized in a 'duh' kind of way - it took all day for me to finally do what I should have done this morning when the 'atmosphere' in our home became too cloudy. To literally, seek the sunshine so I could reflect it to my kids. Whatever form that might be. Just do something to bring the JOY back. Often for us that comes in the form of music, or dancing, or some kind of movement break. Or I will simply go lie down for a few minutes and pray. Or read. Or journal. Or play piano. Or heaven forbid - clean (if I'm really out of ideas).
But today was one of those days when none of those seemed to work. I realized that what we really needed was literally SUN. We needed to SEE and FEEL the source of light, not just imagine it. To simply GO OUTSIDE and drink in God's beauty and grace in some small corner of His creation. And trust that He, in his infinite goodness and gentleness, would provide the "weather change" our hearts needed.
And surprisingly for me, today, that beautiful change came in the form of weeds.
Thank you, God.
Love you, my inspiring, dear friend!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful imagery! (Love the feeling after the re-dos! Feels so much better.)
ReplyDeleteLove this. Love you!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm so glad you updated the kid quotes! Haha!
ReplyDelete