Semicharmed Life
Self pity is like leftover Halloween candy: once you allow yourself the indulgence, it's difficult not to go back for more.
Now, in the big scheme of things, I do realize that I lead a charmed life. It's just that I find myself needing to be reminded of that constantly over the past few weeks as I start to nibble on the self pity pie.
Simple perspective is usually my most effective tool in fighting that urge. Appreciate the moment, I mantra.
The problem is that lately my moments have been filled with screaming children, never-ending remodeling projects and hideous work deadlines.
Truth be told, most of it rolls right off of my shoulders. It's the screaming children that really put me over the edge. But just when I start daydreaming about beautiful New England boarding schools for the pre-K circuit, one of my little people comes up with a doozy.
Today it was my youngest (by 17 minutes, but she embraces the role). She's figured out that if I get angry at her about something, the quickest route to redemption is to make me laugh. (I think her father modeled that for her, actually.)
In any case, she had done something naughty, and square in the middle of my resolute and practiced speech about making good decisions, she squished her little cheeks with her fists and muttered through puckered lips, "I can't stop my dimples!"
Do you really think I could maintain a straight face with dimples bursting in front of my eyes? Me neither.
So just like that, she's off the hook. My perspective is back right where it ought to be.
This is not hard, for God's sake---she's healthy and beautiful and so are her sisters; we have plenty to eat and clean clothes and more toys than I'd like to admit. We have a roof over our head, regardless of how often work is being done on it.
The next time I feel overwhelmed I'm going to take a step back and recognize all of this for what it is: my own semicharmed kind of life.
Now, in the big scheme of things, I do realize that I lead a charmed life. It's just that I find myself needing to be reminded of that constantly over the past few weeks as I start to nibble on the self pity pie.
Simple perspective is usually my most effective tool in fighting that urge. Appreciate the moment, I mantra.
The problem is that lately my moments have been filled with screaming children, never-ending remodeling projects and hideous work deadlines.
Truth be told, most of it rolls right off of my shoulders. It's the screaming children that really put me over the edge. But just when I start daydreaming about beautiful New England boarding schools for the pre-K circuit, one of my little people comes up with a doozy.
Today it was my youngest (by 17 minutes, but she embraces the role). She's figured out that if I get angry at her about something, the quickest route to redemption is to make me laugh. (I think her father modeled that for her, actually.)
In any case, she had done something naughty, and square in the middle of my resolute and practiced speech about making good decisions, she squished her little cheeks with her fists and muttered through puckered lips, "I can't stop my dimples!"
Do you really think I could maintain a straight face with dimples bursting in front of my eyes? Me neither.
So just like that, she's off the hook. My perspective is back right where it ought to be.
This is not hard, for God's sake---she's healthy and beautiful and so are her sisters; we have plenty to eat and clean clothes and more toys than I'd like to admit. We have a roof over our head, regardless of how often work is being done on it.
The next time I feel overwhelmed I'm going to take a step back and recognize all of this for what it is: my own semicharmed kind of life.
posted by jsa at 4:14 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home