..of the rest of your life. Have you heard that before? I have. I’ve even said it many times. I said it again yesterday. It was kind of a revelation to me. Here’s how it happened:
ME: I’m SO tired of being the victim.
Other ME: So stop being the victim.
ME: psh..easier said than done.
Other ME: No. Just as easy. You’ve said so yourself – you choose how you react to any situation. YOU are responsible for your actions, YOU are responsible for your choices. CHOOSE to be happy, CHOOSE not to be a victim. CHANGE the way you see what’s happening.
ME: ..pondering that thought… yeah. I am NOT going to be the victim anymore. I AM going to make things different. I AM going to take control. Starting right now. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. My new, not-a-victim life. Whew, I feel better.
Then I proceeded to look around the house and see EVERYTHING that needed done and to make a decision of where to start. A multitude of things that needed done; dishes, laundry, putting piles of papers and pencils and toys away, the pile of boxes in the backyard that needed sort through and decision to keep and store or put in the garage sale pile, the garage sale pile that needed organized, and on, and on, and on. I took a deep breath and started a load of laundry, then did the dishes. I kept the laundry up until the kids got home from school, then it was time to help with homework and prepare for the evening’s activities. Dylan and Deja both had football practice and I had a New Parent Meeting to attend for the swim team {I am on the board and am the Meet Director}. By the end of the day, I was happy with what I had accomplished. Most of the dishes were done (Dylan’s chore anyway), my bed was made, clothes were put away, and the bedroom floor was clean. A good day.
Today I automatically started in my old routine. Oops..need to change that. So, I made a fresh pot of coffee, made my bed, and instead of waiting for Dayvon to need help entertaining himself, I enlisted him in helping. We emptied the dryer and started another load, we put towels away, and played “Dracula.” Then we practiced the alphabet in sign language and worked on recognizing the letter “Aa” before lunch. After lunch, we washed our dishes and our hands, faces, brushed his teeth and he went down for a nap. He used to nap in his room, but yesterday between the 4 or so times I checked in on him, he got up and got into his mommy’s nail polish. Oops. So we talked last night and decided that from now on he sleeps in the living room on a blanket on the floor. That means I now have a “quiet time” I’ll need to adhere to. Blinds closed, music turned down {I don’t believe in the “don’t make a sound” philosophy. I believe kids learn to sleep better when there is some background noise}, and non-distracting activities. Hence, my afternoon blog time.
Like I said, today IS the first day of the rest of my life. Changes being made that will affect the way I do things from here on out. And my choice to be happy – whatever comes my way.
Is there something in your life you’re wanting to change? Or changes you have made that have made life easier or happier for you?
Until later,
(MeanMom)
