As a parent, when things get a little too quiet, there’s always the thought in the back of your mind that something’s just not quite right. I had one of those moments yesterday after Scott’s parents arrived from Houston. We adults were sitting in the kitchen talking and telling stories, when the kids wizzed past saying they were headed out back to play basketball. It was odd though, because I never heard a ball bouncing. I made a mental note of it, but our storytelling was pretty intense, so I never circled back to check into it.
Until, I heard the blood-curdling scream of my mother-in-law at the front door.
When she opened the door to run out to the car for something, this is what she encountered. The boys had no intention of “playing basketball”. They’d decided to prank us by piling ALL the leaves off our cypress tree, that fell from the recent rain, directly onto our front porch. Thank you very much.
What a giant mess!
We had dinner plans in 30 minutes. My instinct was to immediately think about all of the work it was going to be to clean it up. My mind instantly thought about how many leaves (that they are allergic to!) were stuck, all inside their clothes. But it was actually quite hilarious. So instead, I took a deep breath, and stood there laughing . . . and taking pictures.
The best part?
They actually bagged most of those leaves, so it’s now possible to see grass in our yard again. Good one boys!
This weekend when one of your kids, pets, or even your spouse does something that feels like a huge pile of mess. . . and you know they will. When it’s in your way. When it’s totally inconvenient. When it’s going to be a lot of work to clean up.
Try to roll with it.
Take a deep breath before you respond. Laugh. Take pictures. Take another deep breath.
Then let it be.
That giant barricade in the doorway might be just the shake-up you need to remind you that it’s not about perfection.
It’s about people.
to more love,
Crystal
