Surprise! I'm not perfect. Yes, I went to the salon the other day and actually sat down and relaxed for an hour and a half (!!!) and have lovely, bouncy curls now, but this is how my life really looked at the time...
It was the first time in 6 months I've had my hair even trimmed, and sadly it was obvious, my husband was stuck in a parking lot for 3 hours in a different state because of snow, my children were farmed out: one at swim team, she had a ride home but had to borrow my house key because she lost hers (which incidentally, one guess who got locked out at 7 a.m. the next morning?!), one on the way back from a high school competition, but had no ride home from the school because I was sitting in a salon chair, one away at college but I couldn't remember if she'd checked in to let me know she was still alive (a requirement for her moving away), and the youngest safe and content at a friend's grandparent's house (I usually don't ask if my kids can go to other's houses for a play date, but I really had a lot of split ends and I'd had the appointment for 2 weeks). Even better, my son didn't listen to what I texted him about getting home, we didn't get the leggings picked up for my daughter's performance in two days, we had Wendy's for dinner, and the clean dishes were still sitting in the dishwasher while the ones from two days before that there hadn't room for, were still in the sink.
I'm assuming I'm not the only that has hectic, messy days, so I'm going to repeat myself again: DON'T GET OVERWHELMED. SERVICE DOES NOT NEED TO BE A BIG, FANCY, TIME-CONSUMING PROJECT. Sure, I have the time and energy to do that some days...but mostly not, and that's ok. Teaching our kids to serve (and learn empathy, kindness, leadership, organization, creativity, etc., etc.) can be small and simple. My day looked like it did in large part because my husband was on his way back from driving to the west coast (through a snow storm) to help his mom get her house ready to sell when she retires next month. He was serving, and I was too by taking over this circus so he could go. I brought two kids home with us after school and watched them until dropping them off where they needed to be on my way to the salon because their parents had other obligations. And then I was served by others when my daughter didn't have to stay home alone and my son didn't get stranded at the high school.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE, people! To raise our kids, yes, but also in the ways we serve and help each other. If you think about it, you and your kids are probably already doing service, point it out so service is a familiar and comfortable concept to them. It may be more us than our kids, but they are growing up in this wonderful, chaotic village and will learn how to help others.
And there are always quick, simple ideas that can be thrown in when you aren't clearing those dishes out of the sink or chauffeuring kids all over the county. I'll leave you with some (attributions found in links):
I loved it! Work of art! Best article I've read all day.
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
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