Look and Breath

        I have been challenged a lot lately to try to see things in my life differently. There are several things in my life that are difficult right now and lots and lots of change. It has been very easy for me to slip into feelings depression, frustration, and defeat. I have been trying to stop, breathe, and look around and see things from a positive perspective.  

Wow, that sounds mature, thought-provoking, and like I really have my life together so much that I can sit around and examine my emotional response to life around me. Doesn’t it?

I assure you if any of those are true it’s purely by happenstance.

Let me explain what I mean.

        Ok picture this a hayfield at sunset, a beautiful little girl walking in the tall grass, picking flowers.  She is looking down  as she walks intent on finding the next perfect flower, a smile of contentment and peace all over her. If that isn’t what instagram was created for then I don’t know what is.   

         Confession: I was annoyed when I turned around and saw her, maybe even mad at HER! My sweet little Duchess who was picking me flowers. Now before you get all judgmental on me, let me tell you about my week leading up to this picture.    

        I took a side gig at the local High School and had worked every night that week,  My Man is pretty amazing. He is both willing and capable of handling dinner and the evening routine for 5 small people, solo. The problem was the stomach bug is going around, and it hit our house hard last week.   I’m not going to tell you all about it because, well because most of it is gross and really you don’t want to know. But just know it had been a difficult week, to say the least.    

        On Saturday night we had been invited to a work party for my husband, that conveniently was in our neighborhood. I was tired, and really not feeling social, especially with people I kinda knew but not really. But I am a grown up so we went anyway and we all did have a great time.   My feelings of slight annoyance started when I was after the kids bedtime, they all needed baths, and we were still there. I was ready to go home,and my husband was not picking up on my subtle hints that I wanted to go. He’s cute, but doesn’t really pick up on subtle. My annoyance level went up when I tried to get the kids rallied to leave and was immediately labeled the worst mom ever.  

       By the time we actually started to head home, I was dreading the inevitable chaos and drama that comes with five little humans who are up way past their bedtime.d I am pushing a stroller and  alternating between yelling at the boys to slow down on their bikes and not get so far ahead, and yelling at my little girl to hurry up and keep up with the rest of us.   

  I was consumed by the fact that nothing that evening had gone the way I planned it and dreading the consequences. But the like 8th time I turned around to tell the Duchess to get a move on I was stuck by how just perfect it was.  She was happy, singing to herself  after having a fun evening with friends. Then I looked to my boys,  they also were pretty happy. My oldest was not happy with my restrains on his speed, but overall content.  

        So I decided to see the situation from the perspective of my joyful children, instead of their overtired, cranky mother. There was still mass chaos when we got home, but it was short lived leaving me to the rest of my evening in peace.  

        It really is in how you see and respond to the world around you.   I’m not going to lie and say its easy to change your perspective, but I am going to challenge you to try.  It’s worth it.