Susan GrahamThankful for My Crazy Life
November 27th 2008 03:43
This is NOT me!
Well, I'm afraid I'll have to step away from my typical rant and honor the spirit of Thanksgiving by giving thanks for my fabulous life. Sure, I had to put Princess on the school bus in tears this morning because her shoes didn't feel right and she was leaking pee in her panties. Sure, my son Buddy bit Princess so hard in the arm today that it left a quarter-sized welt on her right shoulder. Sure, my job is so stressful I have to take blood pressure medication at the tender age of 37.
But despite these minor, everyday complaints, my life totally rocks! When my family is together, it feels like all is right with the world. We can have the best time doing absolutely nothing. A walk around the block can turn into a hilarious adventure.
Tonight, for example, we went to McDonald's for supper. It's not my first choice, but Princess won first place in the PTA Reflections contest for music composition at her school, so we wanted to go out and celebrate. It's amazing how a few chicken nuggets and some cheap plastic toys can turn an ordinary supper into a world of fun. We laughed, we talked, we played Hangman on a napkin. The kids ran around the playground at McDonald's, made new friends, and had a ball. (That is, of course, until the biting incident. Then everyone had to put on their coats and leave.)
The point of all this is that it's easy to get caught up in everyday annoyances. The devil is truly in the details! There is a reason, I think, that Thanksgiving comes this time of year. It's the time when we start getting stressed about the holidays and the New Year. The weather is getting cold, and the days are getting shorter. The kids are sick of school and need a break. The teachers are sick of the kids and need a break.
I was thinking today about my job and how I'm afraid the stress is going to kill me one day. I keep telling myself I have to find another job, but good luck in this economy, right? Then it hit me: There is going to be stress no matter where I work, no matter what I do. The key is in how I handle the stress.
When Buddy bit Princess tonight, for instance, the entire evening could have been ruined. But we chose to reprimand him and move on. We continued to have a great time. Not everything has to be the end of the world. Sometimes you just have to let things roll off your back.
You also have to take the time to give thanks for what you have. There are plenty of people in the world without loving spouses. There are couples without happy, healthy children. There are families who are suffering with illness, abuse, and other tragedies. We have none of that. We are truly blessed, to the point that I make myself sick for letting the little things get to me sometimes. I am thankful for my life, my family, my job, my home, and all the gifts I have been given. And I look forward to sharing my thanks with my family tomorrow, and every day after that!
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