Just Let It Slide
With every holiday, I seem to find myself back at the same place. I envision a Norman Rockwell moment; the kids aren't doing swan dives off the table, the foods are thoroughly cooked and ready at the same time, and I'm as cool as a cucumber. I make this great little scenario in my head, and then reality hits like a balpin hammer. I've wrenched my knee while holding my youngest and doing the Pony (funny how my knees aren't what they used to be), the kids both have nasty colds and couldn't possibly be crabbier, and there will be 13 people at my house on Sunday (where will they all sit???). Okay, this is a little off plan, but I'll deal, right?
There is nothing in the world I can do about my knee but rest it. So, I'm not pulling down all the curtains for washing, and vaccuming the ceiling for cobwebs. There is nothing I can do about the kids colds; give them rest and liquids and let it run its course. There is one thing I can do about the expected crowd, though; choose not to do it all. It is my nature to organize everything down to the milli-second. I can get two kids fed, bathed and in bed within one hour's time. My husband, not so tightly wound as me, kind of meanders through the process in twice the time. Guess who is more relaxed at the end of the day? Now, if I deal with Sunday in my normal fashion, getting stressed out over every detail, it is pretty much a done deal that I will wind up with a killer headache Sunday night and be crabbier than the boys are right now. My alternative is to learn a very hard word for me-deligate. (anybody else have trouble with this one?) It is a scary thing to release my grip on things that are usually my domain. Martha Stewart may be able to juggle it all and make a stunning centerpiece from pine cones, raffia and chickadee feathers, but I'd rather sit this one out! So, I'm pretending to be a flexible reed by a calm pond this weekend. What needs to get done, will get done. What doesn't get done, probably wasn't that important after all. I don't need to give myself a headache, but I need to see my boys have a wonderful holiday with their relatives. It won't be Norman Rockwell, but it will be fun. Peace and contentment to all this Easter and Passover season. -Catie
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