As if you didn't already know...
I'm a type A lady. I like projects and accomplishing projects. Give me a task and consider it done. I'm organized, punctual, and reliable.
But, this doesn't always serve me well in life, particularly when it comes to the enjoyment of parenting.
Recently, I helped co-host a baby shower for one of my friends. At the shower, each guest wrote a bit of advice and some well-wishes on a card for the expectant mother; we took turns reading the advice aloud. As each woman, almost all of them mothers and some also grandmothers, shared their advice, there was clearly a common thread being formed.
Enjoy your baby. Stare at your baby. Kiss your baby. Rock your baby. Sleep with your baby.
It is so easy for the mother of a growing family to forget what really matters. To get caught up in an ever-present and ever-growing to-do list that seems to get exponentially longer during the month of December. There's baking and gift-buying and gift-wrapping and traveling (which means laundry and packing) and, and, and. It's all to easy to ignore the kids or try to occupy them with a movie than to just sit and talk to them.
A few days after the baby shower, I was rushing to get some dishes done while my girls had breakfast at the table when I heard Miss E say, "Mommy? Come sit by me." At first, I said, "Mommy is busy doing dishes." Then I thought, Are these dishes really that important that I can't take five minutes to sit, look at my daughters, allow them to be comforted by my presence and attention, and talk about what matters to them in this moment?
I am looking forward to this month because as I write this, I'm preparing for a four week break from work. I'm hoping that without papers to grade and e-mails to answer, I will give myself permission to use my free time in a way that honors my little blessings.
I know I will always battle my personality. On one hand, God made me who I am for a reason---and being type A hasn't always been a bad thing (particularly when it comes to managing my diabetes and teaching), but it's also the devil on my shoulder.
I'm not going to let type A win this holiday season. I hope you don't either.
I am also a Type A personality. Looking back I know there were many times I should've stopped and held my son instead of trying to accomplish so much...laundry, dishes, cleaning, projects, etc. I learned my lesson on that after 6 years of infertility. Now that I have my daughter I'm not making the same mistake again. Yes, my house is a mess 90% of the time, at least 2-3 meals a week are of the somewhat quick/thrown together variety and most of the time the laundry monster looks like it might swallow the whole house....but I wouldn't trade it for the world! Enjoy your girls because it goes so fast. My almost 10 year old is proof.
ReplyDeleteI needed this today! My son turns one the day after Christmas and we have 3 birthday parties this month. One with his birthfamily last Saturday, one at our home this Saturday and another on Christmas Eve with family 2 hours away. With Christmas, cleaning the house, wrapping presents and baking cakes I am stressed! I have to remember that it doesn't have to be perfect and that I need to stop and take a breath and enjoy this time. Thanks for writing this!
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