I have to admit, I got to the end of this week and looked back on what I had accomplished and, frankly, I was a bit disappointed. I always start out my week and my mornings full of hope and energy and fresh ideas, and by the end of the day, I'm not sure where all of that juju went.
Okay, I do know. It went to reminding my 6-year-old 100 times what our schedule was for the day, picking up random pieces of clothing our 3-year-old labrador brought downstairs (that dog cannot pass up a sock), pleading for my kids to make their beds and brush their teeth, monitoring just how long my 10-year-old has been holed up in his room on his iPod, and the other thousand things that seem to get in the way of what was really on my mind to get done that day.
Yep, I know. Parenthood. It's exhausting, exhilarating, maddening, rewarding, and there's nothing else like it. And though summertime is both amazing with the lack of routine and alarm clocks and bedtimes, it can also be challenging for the exact same reasons.
But, then, my world turns around. I get an email from an old friend who tells me about how their Girl Scout troop made a difference through a charitable donation. I hear a story about how much fun someone had at our Kindness Rocks in the A-R-M event. I read to my children from the book Wonder and can sense their brains churning and processing the beautiful message about how we're all just alike.
And just like that, things settle back into place. The frustrations and craziness and incomplete to-do lists become just a small part of this hold-on-by-the-seat-of-your-pants life we've gotten a hold of. In between is accented by those other moments of Phase 10 games, walks through the neighborhood, baseball practices with new friends.
Reflecting back on it, it makes me not quite so discouraged by those unfinished tasks, but instead rejuvenated to jump back in with both feet. And so, I'll begin this week with a renewed energy, rolling with the punches and embracing the moments.
I hope you'll enjoy this week's newsletter. It has a bit of fun, a bit of inspiration, and plenty of chances to make those memories this summer. Take my hand, hold on tight, here we go....let's do summer together.
