No, this isn’t a post about the movie Frozen – of which I still have only seen the first two minutes and the last two minutes (usually I put on a movie so I can get some stuff done – rarely do I sit and watch with the kids, and if I do, then I’m probably exhausted and I end up falling asleep part way through anyway). Although, now that I mention the movie, I can’t get that song out of my head! Let it go, let it go… (by the way, here’s a link to a hilariously funny take on the song from a Mom’s point of view – enjoy!). Click to watch and beware, you might laugh out loud!
Anyway, getting back to the post. Let It Go:
Zackery asked me other day, “Why is that silver pot still on the stove?”
Me: “I just haven’t gotten a chance to wash it and put it away from dinner the other night.”
Zackery: “Has it been there the whole time?!”
Me: “Yes.”
Zackery: “Since Tuesday, when you cooked?”
Me: “Yes, since Tuesday.” (when I actually cooked an entire meal from scratch – but I didn’t say that part out loud)
The conversation continued a little bit more and basically included me telling Zackery that I rinsed it, but I didn’t have time at the moment to wash it, dry it and put it away because I was spending time with him and Brayden, getting them into the bath and then into bed. I explained that sometimes, things don’t get done. Sometimes, the house gets tidied up, but not scrubbed down every day. Sometimes, the dishes stay in the sink overnight (or longer). Sometimes, the crumbs on the floor stick to the bottoms of my feet in the morning because they didn’t get swept up the night before.
Sometimes, we just have to let it go.
He looked at me with his I’m-trying-to-understand eyes, gave a little shrug, and then went back to his Legos. Ahhh, the life of a six-year-old!
My last words to him were that someday, when he has a family of his own, he’ll understand that being with his family is more important than having a perfect, spotless, dustless, crumbless house.
Someday, he’ll understand that sometimes, he will have to just let it go.
It’s a short post today, but an important one. A simple concept, but a difficult one to implement. My challenge to you, pick one thing that keeps you from spending time and being present with your kids, and let it go. Do it after bedtime, or save it for tomorrow, or the next day. Be present and laugh and smile and play with them. No one is going to keel over if the dishwasher isn’t loaded and run right that very moment, but you will miss out on a moment if you choose dishes over your kids. Now, I’m not saying to let the dishes pile up so high that you can’t even see out your kitchen window (that hasn’t ever happened to me, but I can see it in some cartoon somewhere…).
What I’m saying is choose to be with your kids while they laugh and play and giggle and pretend. Trust me, they are growing up fast – you don’t want to miss it.
Choose the important stuff. All the other stuff – Let It Go.
With Love & Mommy Hugs