You can't always do everything.

4:34 PM



   Today I am preparing my hearth and home for a very special friend who's coming to visit and I can HARDLY wait.  I am hoping to pack each available moment of our time, and I'm quite sure that as always, the time will pass wayyy too quickly.  Coffee will be consumed, pictures will be snapped, laughter will be heard, and good times will be had by all.  But before all the relaxing and the chatting and the fun, things need to get decent and clean around here.

   Yesterday I made a few meals for a couple of families and it left my house in a national state of emergency.  Also, the central AC which has been chugging along faithfully like the Little Engine that Could all summer thus far, decided to quit on the ONE DAY I would be spending all day cooking.  Perfect.  I always wanted to welcome my friend to a house of horrors and a sauna to sleep in.

My husband (being the heroic figure that he is) texted me asking,

"How could I make your day better?.....Name it."

And I replied (with my usual wit and candor),

"Hire a maid. Ha."

  And you know what?  That's precisely what he did.  And so today I had the help of a dear sweet cousin of his, and we cleaned and mopped and scrubbed and shined and the Heavens opened up and the angels sang when I heard her say those four little words that EVERY woman everywhere loves to hear......."I love cleaning bathrooms!"

????!!!! Who IS this person?  And how did she come to be this way?!

    Regardless of her inexplicable taste in cleaning preferences, I'm choosing not to question it, I'm thanking the good Lord for sending her my way.  And for giving my husband the discretion of knowing when his wife has reached the end of her rope.  Because let's just get one thing straight off the bat here folks, if you ever start to wonder how I "do it all" than let's just play it safe and assume that I'm NOT doing it all.

   I mean, don't get me wrong, I have my superpower days where I feel like tackling the world and I actually get pretty far with that goal.  Don't we all?  We make a monstrosity of a to-do list and one by one, we push ourselves harder and farther until we even surpass our own expectations.

It happens sometimes.

   But then sometimes my whole family suffers a little bit because of it.  Or suffers a lot. Or maybe they don't, and everyone's still fairly ok and the house is sparkling and the car is vacuumed and the to-do list is neatly crossed off, but I'm in the closet eating Nutella with a spoon and sobbing into a pillow.  Figuratively, anyways.  I mean, come on, everyone has their limits.

   So the beauty is found, not in never having weaknesses or limitations or imperfections like we always assume, but in recognizing the ones we have and not continuing to live in denial.

   So today, I'm thankful for friends coming to visit, Heaven-sent text messages, husbands with an eerie sense of timing, and cousins who mysteriously, actually like to clean bathrooms.

What are you thankful for today?

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6 comments

  1. I am thankful for good friends who still come over even when your house is a wreck and your still in your pajamas and love you in spite of it all. Good friends who when you look at the clock realize 3 hrs have gone by. Those friends are the ones you cherish.

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  2. Oh girl...enjoy your visit. Time with janene is the best! :) And she very graciously looks past dirty houses. Just ask her how she finds my house most times she comes to visit. Haha.

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  3. your husband is so thoughtful! I am so happy he's yours! also it would have been just fine if your house was messy and hot ;) cant wait for our weekend! xo.

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  4. I need to catch up on your blog again!! But this one post, wow, I was nearly in tears reading it. Your husband is so thoughtful! I know that overwhelmed feeling, and having someone to help in that very moment? Just... WOW. Love this post.

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  5. Your post is so timely... I know all too well what you're talking about. I've had to learn & accept that I can't do it all & it's OK to ask for help. I've had to humble myself.
    What a sweet husband you have.
    I have lots to be thankful for.... Healthy children, Loving husband, beautiful sunny days & for your willingness to write all these awesome posts that are such an inspiration!

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  6. love your honest, candid way of writing. this post was so sweet...and I really laughed over that little part about someone who loves cleaning bathrooms. =) oh, and the "eating nutella with a spoon whilest sobbing into a pillow". don't we all do that at times? actually I usually sob without the nutella but next time I will try to take that into the closet with me and the pillow..would definitely make the cry better. =) great idea!
    your writing is unique-so honest and I love how you stick the humor into everything. keep it up...

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