Lent 8: Promise of a New Day

It began as a day full of perfectly scheduled opportunities, but as the hours wore on, the chaos of life took over.
Wake up. Prepare snack. Prepare lunch. Make tea. Make sure backpack is ready to go. Husband has prepared breakfast for you two kids. Good. Have you kids brushed your teeth? Someone answered something. I'm not sure who. Gotta mix up some trail mix for my breakfast. Okay. PJs are changed. She is fast. He is, well, slow as he entertains himself with his sock. Hurry up little boy! I'll eat breakfast later. Get winter gear on. She doesn't want to wear her snow pants since practically everyone at school isn't. Sure, fine. We pile into the car [I need the car today]. The wind is cold. I think I'll go back in and get those snow pants. Run in. Where are the pants? Oh yah, in laundry basket upstairs. Kick off one boot. Try to hop upstairs. Doesn't work. Whatever. Carpets need to get cleaned anyway. Get pant, put on boot and head to car. Stuff pant into her backpack. Drop-off husband. Drop-off daughter. Drive home. Eat nuts and fruit.
That was just the morning! The rest of the day kind of unraveled in a similar frenzy. Time sensitive e-mails had to be answered. Conversations with Mothers needed to be held (both your Nani and Grandma phoned today). Anticipated morning adventures had to be switched for new not-so-exciting ones because of the phone calls (my son, you cried, but the cookie at the coffee shop made up for it). Somehow I made lunch, supper, muffins, and cookies. Dishes washed. A basket of laundry folded. Toys picked up with little hands s-l-o-w-l-y helping. Your Daddy was retrieved from school (ha, ha, sounds funny went I phrase it that way). You kids were bathed with Daddy's help. Drop-off and pick-ups happened at AWANA, during which I registered you, my daughter, into soccer and bought supplies to make green smoothies for breakfast (yup, I'm trying something new, again).

I sound like super Mom, right? I'm so not. My acid reflux was not manageable today. And I spend much time doing stuff around you kids instead of truly listening to you. Forgive me. My mind was preoccupied with many worries. I was constantly thinking of what I needed to do next that I failed to savour the now.

My favourite time of the day came at the end, just before your Daddy and I put you both to bed. My daughter, you just didn't have the greatest 12 hours prior to. Nothing seem to go your way due to your parents' negative responses to your various requests. You could clearly see the frustration and disapproval plastered all over our faces as you moped after another "No" from us. So you came to me in tears just before bed and collapsed in my arms. You were sorry. I was sorry that I was not that present today. It was all communicated with my words, "I love you." I cried too.

I am thankful for moments of reconciliation. And I am thankful for the promise of a new day. The calendar is empty for tomorrow's slot. So, I will aim to do what is absolutely necessary and enjoy the rest of the day with you two. Yup. That sounds like a good plan.

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