It means I have a library of books close at hand, the whirr of the washing machine coming through the doorway and the opportunity to eat my favourite foods every single day.
If the children are ill I just settle in for the duration until they are well again and snatch sleep when I can.
The cat from next door stops me from doing useful tasks by wanting to fall asleep on my lap, so eventually I give in and let her sleep, sprawled and peaceful.
It was not a peaceful existence when the children were little, it was the absolute opposite, I don't know how I survived, or how they did, I was so aggressive and pushy, getting to places on time and making things happen. I went to meetings and made them come shopping with me. We went on tiring trips to visit relatives and I was trying so hard to do what other people thought was correct.
I was so easily upset by others' comments and criticisms. Now I try to judge people by what they say and do, rather than let myself be judged by them.....The next step will be to just watch it and let it go like each day's weather or like people who comment underneath YouTube videos, some I agree with and some I really don't.
Now we chat when we want to and our house is peaceful. There are frictions of course, but they are our own frictions, which makes all the difference.
wonderful post, thank you. i'm not a young mother, but i'm the mother of two young children and i often find myself falling into the same "traps". i pick up on the expectations of other's (namely inlaws) and try my hardest to meet them atleast for a while. i'll be 42 this year and i feel that i should know better than to try to please those around me. Especially when it means dragging my children along on that bumpy ride.
ReplyDeleteanyway, i really appreciated your thoughts on this.