I’m busy and you’re busy. We take on more than we should, we want more than we have, and delay our happiness until we get what we set out to achieve.
Of course, when I say we, I mean me – Sorry, I’m taking you down with me, it just makes putting it down here, in writing for you to see so much easier ;)
We mean to stay in touch, we want to do lunch or dinner, we intend to make that special event, we want to say encouraging words, we were meant to call.
Life is busy.
We work to provide.
We rush home to finish our chores and get interrupted by a broken pool pump.
The grass needs watering and the suns gone down.
The days become longer, our sleep shorter.
The chores accumulate and the day ends.
Life is busy.
My life is ridiculous at the best of times. Not in the, I’m a rock star, I’ve got plenty of things to do kind of way either… nope… Just in the, my pool is green, grass is long, house needs to be cleaned, I have to edit these pics, make an effort, arrange a downtime slot, get to gym, find some food, try to make a difference, let’s try do a dinner kind of way.
We forget to stop and recognize how amazing things actually are.
Today, I’m stopping. Here. Now. I’ve stopped.
Even if it's only for 20 minutes.
Through all this chaos, I have very little to actually manage. I don’t even have children to worry about.
My parents do.
They worry about my brother and I, and the people in our lives, and they worry about their brothers and sisters, and their brothers and sisters kids, they keep their pool blue, and their grass cut, their house is clean and they make an effort. They walk the dogs and always have an extra meal on hand – Trust me, I know because I rock up at the oddest of times. They’re there when you need advice. They take your call and get out bed to come help when at 1am the geyser bursts or give up their time to make sure your busy Monday nights run smoothly. (I don’t know if they’ll do that for just anyone though – inbox me for contact details and we'll see).
Basically, they stop what they’re doing when life interrupts and they pay attention.
They’re the ones who deserve the best of me. Instead, they accept the tired, stressed out, I don’t have time for this, painful version of me. Shoo. They’re awesome. They’re supportive of every adventure I take and proud of every small achievement I make. (Sounds a little like a Sting song)
So today, this is my Thankful Thursday and I took some time out to reflect on the good they do for me.
I found these quotes which made me smile:
The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard. ~Sloan Wilson
One of the greatest titles in the world is parent, and one of the biggest blessings in the world is to have parents to call mom and dad. ~Jim DeMint
Today, I’m blessed because I still have parents to call mom and dad.
From me to Gail and Gerald, my mom and dad – THANK YOU for all that you do – I love and respect you and my life would not be this good without you. [It would be easier if you went on a basic computer course though. Just saying. Something to consider doing together in 2012? ;) ]
