Mama....you are a ninja!
2017...back in high school when we looked forward to the "2000s", we couldn't even imagine saying 2000, much less "2017"...it just didn't sound right coming out of our mouths! But here it is and here we all are that much older...and wiser hopefully! For as long as I can remember, I have been what people would call a busy-body....always busy, doing a little bit of everything. I like to know how to do a lot of stuff, and I cannot stand to be bad at something. There are plenty of things I am bad at, but we'll save those for another day. So, as I've posted our adventures and my "projects" and stories about my life, many of my friends would tell me "you should write a blog". I always laughed and stated I didn't have the time, but it's always been in my mind and on my never-ending "to-do" list. Well, this year, I am determined to make it a reality...hence, my blog. I am not a super technology savvy person, so I have way too much to learn...so, maybe this will be another of those things that I continually improve.
One night last week, I had thoughts...my blog wasn't up yet, so I sat down to write...here is a glimpse into my wandering mind...
Jan 10, 2017 11:11pm---It's late, it's quiet. A fire roars in the woodstove keeping away the last bit of chill from a cold front. I'm off to bed, where Matt has already retired. He asked me to watch a tv episode on netflix...then got tired halfway in and said goodnight. Because I'm a little nuts, and my mind doesn't turn off, I stay up to finish it...all the while knowing that the sun will race to rise again. I walk through the kitchen then see the laundry room..."dang it!"...there are some clothes that need to hang dry. I meant to do it earlier, and forgot. If I do it now, they'll be dry by morning. I walk through the kitchen to the drying rack..."dang it!"...I forgot to start the dishwasher. Because I'm a little nuts (have I established that already?), I really don't like hearing the whirring of the dishwasher when I'm in bed...oh well...I need clean dishes more than I need quiet. I start the dishwasher and turn around..."good Lord!"...no one put the salad or the bacon away...twenty minutes later, it's all tidy and done. Maybe I can sleep now.
As I was hanging those clothes on the rack to dry, I was a little irritated at all the little things tonight that have added up to me being later getting in bed...but then I smile a little. As mothers, we have some secret ninja skills....some special magic tricks...the fact is that we are often so good at taking care of our families, that they barely notice much of the time. I smile now, because I have to find humor in it. Mothers aren't doing all of those little things to get recognition, we are doing them to nurture our little people. Now, don't read this all wrong and think that I'm all gooey inside, I definitely lose my marbles sometimes...tonight, I just see the bigger picture. Tonight, I relish in knowing that so many of my mom and wife duties are done without my little family ever realizing that it gets done. Tonight, I relish that there is a family here...healthy and mine...that get those dishes and clothes dirty. How blessed am I? I know there are people even in my family that would give anything to have little people to clean up after.
I reminisce to 11-plus years ago when I was on bedrest with my first pregnancy. We lived 8 hours from family...Matt was driving almost 4 hours round trip to and from work nearly every day...life was chaos (or so we thought--a few months later, we found what true chaos was:)) At the time, our washer and dryer was in the basement. Matt would scold me if I even moved from the couch when he was home, but not once...I repeat, not once...did he ever question how his clothes were clean and put away every day. I guess it was our "boys from Waycross" (family joke). It was a time even before kids, that a little thing weren't really noticed, but I still got to take care of my husband.
I'm not saying we, as wives and mothers, shouldn't be recognized for what we do sometimes, but tonight I am saying that we should just take pride in selflessly taking care of them...pretend it's magic. Pretend it's a super power. Pretend it's a ninja skill--you are a ninja...celebrate it...celebrate how blessed you are and take a moment to thank God for your family. Now, what can I do for them that they won't notice:)
“I can imagine no heroism greater than motherhood.”