Alex of Late Enough is my guest today and her letter is perfect for my life right now! I literally feel like a chicken with it’s head cut off, trying to juggle a move, work deadlines, fertility treatments, Lucas and his well being, my marriage and my sanity. I know I’m not alone!! A daily pass on daily life? Yes, please!! I bet you could use one too, so keep reading…
And be sure to check out Alex’s writing soon, she’s witty, straightforward and an amazing mother. For proof, start by reading The Yellow Bow.
Dear Daily Life,
While I may always loathe your daily-ness, I’ve accepted your existence.
I accept that by wearing my clothing and dressing my children I am creating laundry. I also understand that my occasional attempt to wear my pajamas as daylight outfits are now announced at preschool pick-up by my precocious daughter so I will now have even more dirty clothing if I want to maintain my dignity.
I accept that everyone needs to eat at least three times a day, and with kids, it’s six to eight depending on if I made the only meal they really like — PASTA — and that this leads to the never-ending existence of dirty dishes no matter how diligent I’ve been at using the amazing invention in my newest home: THE DISHWASHER.
Yes, my car will run out of gas, my phone will need to be charged, and my children will never learn to properly put away their toys. And yes, I will practice being grateful for having all these things to do everyday because there is always someone who has it much worse than me. Of course, there are people who have people who do all these things FOR THEM, but I digress because this letter isn’t about being grateful for daily life.
Daily life, I’m asking for a free pass. A Get Out Of Daily Life Free. Because even though I can ignore daily life any time I want, everything pile up so I’m not getting out of it, I’m just putting on blinders and trying not to trip over LEGO castles. What I want is a cleaning fairy to finally show up, do the job and maybe leave me a little Life Isn’t Always Like Monday Hallmark card.
Can you find a way to be on hold when unexpected life shows up? When a family member passes away. When a friend needs support through her cancer treatment. Or even in the more mundane yet unexpected shows up like when my kids get sick on the day my husband and I both have to be somewhere that feels equally important. Or my cat decides to prove to the neighborhood that he can beat up a dog. Or my car’s tire decides to marry a nail.
Look, I will never be a monk peeling potatoes like I’m on top of a mountain communing with God. I’m peeling potatoes for French fries. And I am not fooled by all this joy in the moment because sometimes it’s too much and I’m tired and the fact is the joyful moments I see touted are a little too well-lit and thought-out for me to believe that they just spontaneously happened while cleaning up dog crap in the backyard. And I do fight for people who have less than me through time and money and thoughtfulness. It’s probably why I have so many dirty dishes in the sink.
Daily life, you are just so daily, and I either need a few free passes, or you should think about becoming weekly because I’m a little overwhelmed this month.
Sincerely,
Alex
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Holla! Can I get a witness?
Seriously. Messy house, naughty dog, sick kids, snow and sleet, dryer broken, pant bottoms wet, cold house, dirty toilet
never mind the important stuff, like making dinner for a family who needs it tonight (in addition to mine). And why did I buy a hunting dog? Why couldn’t I have bought a lazy dog?
{Hands in the air} I’ll testify again, sister. AMEN.
I don’t know if Daily life if even more DAILY with a full time hob (outside the house) or not, but wow, Daily Life is seriously kicking my butt these days.
I feel like I never really relax or unwind, ever. This is exactly what I needed to read today, if for no other reason, than to prove that I’m not alone, running around with a chicken with my head cut off.
love ya Alex and Tonya. xo
What’s an HOB? Because when I googled it, the Internet Slang said “horny old bastard,” and I don’t know why you have one of those outside of your house. Heh.
I think part of the reason I stay up so late is because I REALLY want that ME time to last but being so tired the next day makes less productive. Vicious cycle.
Overwhelmed. That’s precisely how I feel right now, have for the past month or so. I usually try to blame the universe but even Mercury can’t retrograde this damn much. Sometimes, though, I think it has to be ME. Everyone can’t feel this way, not regularly like I do. And then it hits me that it’s completely normal (although, yes, I do oftentimes think I should have a better handle on daily life by now.) My main goal for today is printing out this coupon.
I definitely think there are other people who are better at daily life than I am considering it took me years to accept the fact that dirty dishes would be in my sink EVERY DAY. But sometimes I think the extra life, outside of daily life, gets thrown at my family more than others. Of course, I like to think I’m special so it’s probably not true
I know the feeling about needing a pass from daily life every once in a while.
It’s nice to not be alone.
Yes. I feel like Daily Life is teaming up with Obligation to really kick my butt lately. (Adding “print out pass” to to-do list… where do I redeem that??)
Exactly — like some sort of terrible World Wide Wrestling team except it’s REAL.
Where can I find them because I want at least six. Bloomingdales? They have everything in my experience.
I NEED this. Desperately.
I’m just gonna go ahead a print a few of those out right now and pass ’em around…
Also, girl, don’t peel the potatoes for the fries, just leave the peel on!
xo
Oh this is a good one, Alex.
It’s so hard to remember to be kind to ourselves and give ourselves the same break and grace we’d offer to anyone else!
(*Love this.)
I need one of these passes you speak of. Then I’ll probably overuse them and someone will have to dig me out of from under the rubble of children’s toys and messes, laundry and dirty dishes.
I really want someone to invent a vending machine for mothers. What do you want to eat? Just press and button and the vending machine fairies will make it for you in 2 minutes! Stick your dirty dishes back into it and voila, washed!
Yup, I’ve clearly thought about this meal thing in great detail.
Isn’t it great to be alive? A pass from daily life every once in a while sounds really great!!!
I cannot even tell you how much I would cherish one of these tickets…maybe if we all print them out and start circulating them, daily life will get the picture
Amen!
Ok this is exactly…Alex. She always says what I felt, but didn’t know I felt. Well, I knew it, but there were no words for the feeling and then there she is with the words.
Fricking Daily Life. Where is the Pause for all that crap?