What Matters Most?

When it comes down to it what is most important to you? Day to day we seem to put importance on things that don’t really matter. We focus on other drivers on the road and traffic, grrrrrrrr. We spend time talking about our coworkers, acquaintances, and friends and the “drama’ in their lives. We spend a lot of time worrying about things that may or may not happen. We look forward to our next weekend and not the next moment we are living. We make lists of our chores and complain there is never enough time. We tell our spouse we love them as we run out the door. So what seems important? Unfortunately for most people, me included, doing what we “need to do” and letting other people/things affect us is given the greatest value daily.

But when something major happens in life, a death, divorce, health scare…importance shifts. In those times no one is counting calories or stressing about being stuck at a red light.

I want to start a prayer list, prayers to God about what is truly most important to me, right now. Some of the prayers will stand the test of time while others will shift based on the stage of my life. So here is my list as of May 31, 2013

Health and safety of my daughter ALWAYS

Good health for me, my husband, family and friends

A faithful and loving marriage

A secure, prosperous career

The ability to always comfortably pay my bills

A safe neighborhood to live and raise my family

Having peace in my heart and in life

Understanding and doing something with the calling on my life

A long, happy life here on Earth for me and those I love

An easy and inexpensive resolution with the city on the construction of our home

Audrey doing well with the transition to her new room at a daycare

Safe travels always

The removal of fear about flying

The success of Mike’s business and career; the ability to hear God’s wisdom on what’s next and how to proceed

The ability to laugh more than I cry

To become more selfless

A positive relationship with myself and my body

To have true forgiveness

To be courageous:  in making the moves right for my journey, in my confrontations and in my reconciliations

Nothing I have listed above is related to laundry, having to be right in an argument, or disgruntled coworkers….because at the end of the day, those things really don’t matter. It’s easier said then done to shift your focus everyday on what truly matters in life. Its human nature to get wrapped up in gossip, frustration, and list making, and of course we need to do the things to maintain our existence. The grocery shopping has to get done and the floors cleaned, but I just hope I don’t lose sight that looking my husband in the eye and giving him an extra hug is more important then getting to the drycleaners five minutes faster. So I guess another prayer to add to my list is the ability to balance daily responsibilities and what truly matters most.

What's on your prayer list?

Happy Mothers Day

Before I became a parent I would hear from my own mother and other moms in my life say, “Wait until you have your own children, you’ll understand”. I would stand in judgment, thinking what a cliché statement, and almost be annoyed that these mothers thought they knew more than me. Then I had Audrey and now understand the following:

• Giving your children freedom to learn on their own and make mistakes is literally terrifying, it’s like jumping of a bridge. Why? Because your heart plunges to the floor at the thought of them being hurt, scared, or disappointed, but at the same time you know you can’t hold them back from growing up.
• It will be 18 years before you can sit down at the table the entire way through dinner without having to get up to clean a spill, fetch more milk, or bring out seconds.
• You will let your child have the Mac and Cheese or white bread while you are in a restaurant so you and those around can enjoy a meal in peace.
• It will become the norm for your car and purse to be filled with two day old waffle pieces, stickers, Goldfish, dirty tissues, and random toys.
• Your heart will explode with pride when your child sings, dances, swims, or kicks a ball.
• You will have mental countdowns to naptime and a suitable hour to drink wine.
• Going to the grocery store by yourself truly is a mini vacation.
• Using the bathroom in privacy is a luxury you take for granted prior to having a child.
• You will watch horrible events on the news and you will feel sick to your stomach thinking “What if that were my child?”
• You will never really sleep soundly again.
• You save your vacation days to take care of fevers, ear infections, and tummy aches.
• You will desperately want a break from it all and when you get it, you will desperately miss your children.
• The greatest thing you will ever do is raise a child.

I am still very new at this mother thing, I only have 2 ½ years under my belt. I know I have a lot more to experience and learn. I already look back at some of my own childhood moments and see things from a different perspective. Like anything else, you really can’t understand what it means to be a mother until you are a mother.  So to all the moms out there Happy Mother’s Day, and who knows maybe you will even get to pee in private on your special day.