I woke up this morning feeling foggy. My insides felt dark and damp and cold and depressed. My morning was horrible. I had so many reasons to be in a bad mood. The puppy was licking herself half the night. It woke me up and grossed me out and made me mad. So around 6am I got up, took her outside, then moved her out of my room and went back to bed. By 6:30, Franklin had woken me up again, coming in for snuggles. Grumpily, I allowed him into the bed, because I was too tired to tell him to go away. By 6:45, his wiggling and the puppy’s banging around in her crate got me out of bed for good. 6:45… I guess they hadn’t read the memo that I don’t believe in getting up before 7, even if it’s 6:59, unless the house is on fire. Which it wasn’t, thankfully, but still… needless to say I wasn’t happy about it.
Within the next hour and a half, I had problems with whining, fixing lunches, homework not done, backpacks lost, breakfast, second breakfast, snack. I felt bad about not blogging yesterday and falling short of my daily goal, and not being interesting enough anyway. I felt bad about my house being a mess, and frustrated by the fact that I’m going to need to mop today because the puppy sneezed medicine all over the kitchen. I felt bad that we fell short of Matthew’s goal of homework being 100% completed through the end of the year. I felt bad that I’m avoiding my photography work. I felt bad that my heart wasn’t full of gratitude and a can-do attitude like I’ve been trying to cultivate.
So, I went back to bed. And within five minute, Franklin let the puppy out and I had to get up and go some more. As I stomped around the house, frustrated with myself, I suddenly thought about some things that put it all in perspective.
- Today, I’m not trying to deal with how to help my twelve-year old as he is dying from cancer.
- Today, I’m not taking my six children with me to attend the funeral for my husband, who died suddenly of a brain aneurysm.
- Today, I’m not packing my house and leaving to find a new job and start over somewhere else.
- Today, I’m not bandaging my son’s blisters because his skin won’t stay on his body, a job I will have to do daily for the rest of his life.
I know of four people doing the above four things today. I can bet they’d love it if their biggest issue today was puppy medicine sneezed all over the kitchen and a little exhaustion. Out of respect for people dealing with real issues today, I’m changing my day. I’m doing something else. I’m putting on that hat that I told myself I’m too old to wear. I’m going to mop the floor today, and feel grateful for the job and the husband that make it possible for me to do so. I’m going to go antique shopping, something I’ve never really done, just because I can.
The fact is, it’s possible, even likely, that someday I’ll have to deal with something awful in my own life. I can’t help but think that my friend’s cousin still had her husband a few years ago, when she only had four kids like me, and that Jen’s son didn’t have cancer when he was 9, like oldest child. They didn’t plan on their lives being turned upside down. At some point, their worst nightmare was a day like they’re having today. I hope if any of those above scenarios become one of my bad days, I will be able to look back at today, glad I didn’t waste it in undeserved self-pity, but instead, took advantage of it to the fullest, celebrating that today, my life was full of minor instead of major inconveniences.
Carpe Diem.
p.s. if you want to help Jen and her family, there is a benefit going on here.
14 Comments
You are so right. I often catch myself feeling sorry for myself when in actuality, I am SO blessed and my trials are miniscule. I need to be more grateful for my blessings.
that’s a really great attitude to keep. thanks for sharing it with us. we all can use a reminder once in a while.
thanks for the reminders, Shannon. and contrary to what you think - I find all your posts interesting. You have a great perspective and I love your humor!
Sheesh Shannon! Talk about serious wipage in the eyes and nose region! I am absolutely going to link you as my daily post in my blog. Everyone HAS to read this.
Hope you won’t mind.
Hope your day getts better! My prayers are for your friends. We have so so much to thankful for. Thankfully we have a very kind and loving Father in Heaven, who is watching over us all, especially on our “worst of days.”
Peace be with you and to all those who suffer. My heart goes out to them.
You have a way with words.
Jen’s story is totally heartbreaking, as are the rest. I must admit that there are many a day that I come home and kiss and hug the little kiddos wondering how I got to be so blessed (and the next morning I wake-up y and ornry).
This is the post I’m going to come back and read on a grumpy day to remind myself of the things I need to remind myself of. It’s all about perspective….
we’re having tests done for what my six year olds dr. thinks is a brain tumor and until reading jens story i’ve been able to shelf it until test results come back but now i am a blubbering mess and totally freaked out
thank you for the perspective. every day will look a little different now and i’ll just enjoy a “normal” life until the results come, no matter how frusterating normal can be.
good for you- thanks for putting my day in perspective as well- I will finish my cup of coffee and be more grateful for the noisy ones in my life all day today!
Well, after reading your touching post I am reminded just how lucky I am. Washing dishes and doing laundry is actually a blessing because it means that we had food in our house to dirty the dishes and we have clothes to wash! There are too many people in this world that don’t have those things for me to sit around griping and complaining. Thank you for the wake up call and reality check!
such a great post for today.
Thank you.
Thanks, Shannon. This post really touched me. It is always sobering to hear of other’s struggles that far outweigh our own. I hope for brighter days for all those you mentioned.
Bawling. I miss you so much!!
thank you for the dose of reality.
~Heather