The other night while putting the girls to bed I was bugged.
It had been a long day. I was tired. I was achy. And I was ready for my children to drift off into sweet slumber.
I told them to brush their teeth.
They giggled and wrestled.
I begged them to put their pj's on.
They formed a dog-pile on Grace's bed.
I knelt down for prayers in a huff, ready to launch into a lecture about how late it was and how we MUST get to bed.
But as I looked over at them all in a huddle of laughter and smiles...feet and arms and straggly hair going every which way, something clicked inside me.
I forgot my achy tired-ness and filled up with still-ness and love for those three sweet girls bunched up on the bed together. I thought of Nancy and how she lay in her own bed unable to move a muscle for so many years. Here I was completely able bodied, how could I be grumpy?
Sometimes I forget to cherish the "doing" and instead I worry so much about the "getting it done" as my favorite Anna Quindlen quote always reminds me to do (click here to see that quote and further thoughts on it...I have a lot of them). Sure, there are things that need to be checked off, and yes, we all need sleep. But what was five extra minutes going to hurt?
So I joined them. My smile joining theirs.
I do love the "doing." I love the journey itself. Who really cares what's at the end of my "treasure hunt" when my "treasures" are right here in front of me.
I just need to stop and remind myself of that every once in a while.Labels: mothering, thoughts