Enjoying the Scenery

All week long, I work.  I mean I really work.

Not to give myself a pat on the back, that’s not the point.  The truth is I have six young children and I don’t really have a choice but to WORK.  Truly six days a week.  (I take the Bible pretty seriously.)

Monday through Friday, my days are filled with cooking, cleaning, teaching, wiping, refereeing, cleaning, wiping, teaching,  cooking, refereeing, cleaning, cooking, and yes, wiping.  Yeah, there are some days that I admit I am more nuts than others, but I do try to keep my perspective.  That this really is holy work.

But holy or not, it’s still WORK!

Today’s Friday, and even though I always have a list of different types of work for myself and my family for Saturday, I still love the change in scenery, the change of pace, the break from the monotony of the Monday through Friday regimen.

We got done with schoolwork today by lunchtime and decided to spend some time in the backyard since it’s such a beautiful day.  We watered the vegetable and melon gardens.  The boys played in the dirt that had dried up from their previous adventure with the mud bath.  Just for fun, Levi went ahead and took off his Pull-up and went and peed on the back fence.  Then I remembered that we hadn’t done our after-lunch chores.  That the floor was still desperately calling to be swept and mopped.  That the kitchen counters were lonely for my touch.  And then.  I did something somewhat out of character for me, especially when I am in nesting mode. 

I.

Sat.

Down.

In the rocking chair on the back porch.

Suddenly my focus was shifted.  I heard the birds singing a beautiful melody.  I heard my children laughing as they squished mud through their fingers and molded it into the shape of ….  poop.  Yeah, I said it.  I have six boys, remember?

Anyway, back to the poetic train of thought.

The sounds of spring filled the air and the sunshine and absolutely perfect temperature brought a smile to my face.  I didn’t care anymore that most of the boys were sitting in a pile of dirt with no shirt on and would need baths as soon as this little excursion was over.  I forgot about the dishes, the floors, the food that still needed to be put away.

And I enjoyed the scenery.

Rocking chairs are good like that.  Once you get in one, they seem to have this calming effect, an ability to make you slow down and think about the moment.  They have some sort of special tuner that helps you hear better, helps you listen more closely to the call of the things that are more important.  Like your kids laughing.  They help you to see better and to remember just what matters most.

Every mom should have a rocking chair on her back porch.  But if you don’t, you can sit on the steps, or the porch, or even the grass. 

Take a moment today.  Sit down.  Breathe.  Let it all go.

And enjoy the scenery.