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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