I love my fellow blogger Kristina’s attitude on mothering. She just returned from a three week road/camping trip with her family and she had a wonderful time. That in itself is mind-boggling to me. I used to take three DAY road trips every year with my family and “loved it” did not describe my mindset. It was more like: “How soon can I jump out of this car?”
Once Kristina came home she posted a picture on social media of the giant pile of dirty, vacation clothes she had to wash. She used humor to diffuse what could have been a truly depressing moment.
And then … her washer broke! I would have been a mess by then. But, once again Kristina posted a humorous picture of her washing machine with an “out of order” sign on it. Brilliant. And, so much more fun than an angry, whining tirade.
We often forget that we have choices in motherhood. We’re so busy trying to keep all our balls in the air that we forget that dropping a few can provide some of the best moments in our lives (and the lives of our children). We can laugh when things don’t go as planned, or when messes are made, or when life throws us a few curveballs instead.
Kristina will tell you that it took her a while to learn to let go, but she has embraced it so firmly that she serves as a reminder to me to loosen up a bit.
I was a tightly wound mother for many years. I struggled to keep chaos at bay because … I don’t like it. I am wired to crave peace and quiet and at least a little order. And, those things can be hard to come by when you’re trying to raise a family.
I wish I had remembered earlier that I could compromise. I could let chaos reign and even revel in it before I reintroduced peace into my life. I’m practicing that now. I am putting Kristina’s mindset into practice with my own family.
The other day, four of my kids and all of my grandkids were over and I swear there were fifty things going on at once. And, it was wonderful. No, it was not my natural way of being and yes, at times it was a bit much for me. But, everyone was laughing and having the best time and I reminded myself (more than once) that that was what mattered in the long run.
By embracing a different way of being, I have given myself and my family a gift. That’s the beauty of learning from other mothers. They can show you things you’ve never even considered before. So, while I am not going on any three week camping trips in the near future, I am dipping my toes in the waters of chaos and letting myself float for a while.
Read more of Ann’s contributions to allmomdoes here.
