Sunrise
It's morning. The start of a new day. So far it is much like any other day. Get up, shower, try to drink my coffee while it's hot before the boys are up. Burn my mouth on the coffee because it's TOO hot. Then the boys get up. Make toast, pour cereal, fill milk cups. Now my coffee is lukewarm. If I go out into the kitchen to warm it up, will they let me come back in here, or will they think up new things for me to do?
A number of years ago I read a piece by someone (Max Lucado, I think) in which he sat by the window watching the gently falling snow, drinking his coffee and reflecting on his day. I'm not sure when the last time was that I got to reflect long enough to make it through an entire cup of coffee without interruptions. In his reflecting Max came up with a list of resolutions, a list of things that he would focus on just for that day. His is much more profound because the caffeine stream to his brain was uninterrupted; he's also simply a much better writer than I am.
But in the spirit of a new day, here is my list of resolutions for the day.
1. I will not view my children as inconveniences. Even when my three year old interrupts me in the midst of this point asking to be tucked again. He looks awfully cute running back to the couch with his little high-stepping run and his mismatched pajamas.
2. I will do my very best not to yell. If I need to count to ten, leave the room, make a cup of tea, whatever, I will not allow my anger to control me. And if I yell, I will ask forgiveness and move on, because each moment is new, and each moment we can choose to take the other path.
3. I will not laugh at my three year old when he comes running into my office because the sheep on Micky Mouse scare him. Even though he's only three, what scares him is real to him. (And the baaa-ing of those sheep IS a little freaky.)
4. I will get my taxes filed today. Really I will.
5. I will eliminate time wasters. I love my internet message boards, but sometimes I can get so caught up in them that caring for my home and family takes second place. OK, so I'm not going to TOTALLY eliminate them, how else would I find out fascinating things like how to tie a bow on a little girl's Easter dress so that it hangs perfectly? (Note...I only have boys. They won't wear anything with bows on them.) I will view them with restraint; maybe choosing to ignore posts about things like tying bows.
6. I will get my kids out of their pajamas and into real clothes sometime before my husband comes home at 5.
7. I will exercise restraint in how much leftover Easter candy I eat. This includes not trying to swipe candy from my children on the premise that "they will never notice". J is reaching the age where he does notice. Oh yes, he notices.
8. I will extend grace today. Grace to myself for the mistakes I'm sure I'll make, grace to my children for the noise and the messes that they will create today, grace to my husband for the moments when he just doesn't 'get' what I'm saying, grace to relatives who are acting like children, and grace to anyone else who crosses my path who needs it.
9. I will stop my list at nine, because snuggling my children is more important that stretching to try to come up with a perfect list of ten points.
Happy new day, everyone. What are YOUR resolutions for today?
A number of years ago I read a piece by someone (Max Lucado, I think) in which he sat by the window watching the gently falling snow, drinking his coffee and reflecting on his day. I'm not sure when the last time was that I got to reflect long enough to make it through an entire cup of coffee without interruptions. In his reflecting Max came up with a list of resolutions, a list of things that he would focus on just for that day. His is much more profound because the caffeine stream to his brain was uninterrupted; he's also simply a much better writer than I am.
But in the spirit of a new day, here is my list of resolutions for the day.
1. I will not view my children as inconveniences. Even when my three year old interrupts me in the midst of this point asking to be tucked again. He looks awfully cute running back to the couch with his little high-stepping run and his mismatched pajamas.
2. I will do my very best not to yell. If I need to count to ten, leave the room, make a cup of tea, whatever, I will not allow my anger to control me. And if I yell, I will ask forgiveness and move on, because each moment is new, and each moment we can choose to take the other path.
3. I will not laugh at my three year old when he comes running into my office because the sheep on Micky Mouse scare him. Even though he's only three, what scares him is real to him. (And the baaa-ing of those sheep IS a little freaky.)
4. I will get my taxes filed today. Really I will.
5. I will eliminate time wasters. I love my internet message boards, but sometimes I can get so caught up in them that caring for my home and family takes second place. OK, so I'm not going to TOTALLY eliminate them, how else would I find out fascinating things like how to tie a bow on a little girl's Easter dress so that it hangs perfectly? (Note...I only have boys. They won't wear anything with bows on them.) I will view them with restraint; maybe choosing to ignore posts about things like tying bows.
6. I will get my kids out of their pajamas and into real clothes sometime before my husband comes home at 5.
7. I will exercise restraint in how much leftover Easter candy I eat. This includes not trying to swipe candy from my children on the premise that "they will never notice". J is reaching the age where he does notice. Oh yes, he notices.
8. I will extend grace today. Grace to myself for the mistakes I'm sure I'll make, grace to my children for the noise and the messes that they will create today, grace to my husband for the moments when he just doesn't 'get' what I'm saying, grace to relatives who are acting like children, and grace to anyone else who crosses my path who needs it.
9. I will stop my list at nine, because snuggling my children is more important that stretching to try to come up with a perfect list of ten points.
Happy new day, everyone. What are YOUR resolutions for today?
Oh...thank you so much for your wonderful words over at Ramblings on Lyrics. It's always nice to know when someone else can understand me a bit. :)
ReplyDeleteOh and I absolutely love number 5. I'm a mom of all boys also and often get sucked in to the posts about girl things. One of my resolutions for today is to just be thankful for my boys. I'm slowly learning that I can let go of my desire to want a girl. God knew what He was doing in giving me my boys.