Joy Found in a Sick Day

See that sign? “Nest.” That’s what I’ve been called to do this week. Take care of my nest.

Life is crazy these days. Our teenagers are always busy, going different directions, my hubby and I are busy with our jobs, you get it. I know you do, because I’m sure your life is very similar to ours. Often times I find myself forgetting to “enjoy the ride” because I’m too caught up in busy-ness. It’s like I’m on a merry-go-round, and I juuuuuuust want to step off for a bit.

Last week I really felt like I was taking the bull by the horns when I made the very grown-up decision to clean out my underwear drawer. Oh ya. You know, because EVERY SINGLE TIME I’m in a hurry in the morning I can’t find matching socks. And the last 4 undies stuffed into my drawer after laundry are in a constant rotation. And the last time I tried to find some black tights it turned into a 30 minute expedition. WHY DO I LIVE LIKE THIS? Because I “don’t have time” to clean out my underwear drawer. Nope, I’d rather live in constant frustration and have that lovely nagging feeling in the back of my mind about how I’m not organized and then move on to thinking about how someone MUST be coming in and stealing my socks/tights/favorite undies, or maybe my washer is eating them. Well, that one day, last Wednesday, I’d had enough. I “cleared my schedule” for 30 minutes and organized the underwear drawer. Oh. My. Goodness. The JOY it brought! Who KNEW the drawer opened so easily? And WHAT??? You mean the socks are all paired up and in ONE specific location?

This little escapade started me thinking about the rest of my life. What if I started taking time to focus on the little details? Light bulb. The little details are where the JOY is! L-I-V-I-N-G life. Not just running around like a crazy person, and trying to keep all of the plates in the air like a circus performer.

Well it was a nice thought, but life is busy, and I let it happen again.

Then this week arrived. Our daughter got really sick with a bad virus. I cancelled some clients, took her in to the doctor (she’s going to be fine, just needs rest and TLC), and was forced to  s l o w  d o w n. School? Nope. After-school volleyball games? Nope. Dinner date with friends? Nope. Clients? Nope. Meetings? Nope. Big party with our entire family celebrating 4 birthdays this weekend? Nope. Just time to BE. Time to be the mom my daughter needs. Time to be a homemaker and catch up on laundry. Time to care for my family. Time to sleep in a little, hang out on the sofa and watch movies with my girl, and ENJOY THE RIDE. As a mom it’s hard to see your kids suffer, but my daughter’s great attitude has shown me a different side. We’ve both decided we’re happy about an opportunity to slow down. To take a break.

Stepping off that merry-go-round has been JUST what the doctor ordered.

I hope you’re smarter than me, and actually CHOOSE to carve out some down-time without being forced into it by a virus. You’ll be so glad you did. And, dare I say, when it’s time to step back on that crazy merry-go-round of life, you might actually ENJOY the ride.

…and she might not look like it, but Sophie has been beside herself with excitement to have us home this week. 😉