I didn’t really want to post this one, because I feel like I’m whining and complaining. However, there are days when I have bad days, when I’m not a perfect mommy, when my house is a mess, when the kids ate cereal for two out of three meals (and that’s only because they had chocolate milk for breakfast)…and I want to know that I’m not the only one.
Because…
When I loaded the three younger kids into our SUV this morning. Drove to the hospital. Unloaded the three younger kids from the car. Walked through the parking garage to the radiology department. Picked up Silas’ x-rays. Walked back to the car. Loaded the three younger kids in the car. Drove 20 minutes to a second hospital. Unloaded the three younger kids from the car. Walked through the parking garage (the people in this one drove a lot closer to my children than in the other one). Waited for an hour to see the doctor. Ended up leaving without seeing the doctor because we were going to be late to pick up Eli from Kindergarten. Rescheduled the appointment for a week later.
I forgot to take a deep breath.
When Eli threw chalk dust in Cora’s eye, because he was frustrated that she drew on his picture, because he was already frustrated that a little boy in his class who used to be his best friend has now turned on him and turned all the other boys against him. So Cora broke all of the new sidewalk chalk I bought yesterday — good thing it was only a dollar. And I made all the kids come inside.
I forgot to take a deep breath.
After Josh told me to take a break in the evening, knowing I’d had a hard day, and then I found out he could play bass for the youth worship band, and I knew how badly he’d want to do that, so I encouraged him to go downstairs, and the kids all ignored me and fought and I sent them to bed early, only for them to get woken up an hour later.
I forgot to take a deep breath.
And then my husband came up stairs. He let me cry out all of the deep breaths I’d forgotten to take. He said…
Just take a deep breath.
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oh, sweet breath. sweet melissa. i just let out my own deep breath for you after realizing i wasn’t breathing at all while i read.
i have no words for you. just…breathing for you.
i hope you have a lot to laugh about today and that all is well when you lay your head.
xo
p.s. when i saw that you were before mine, i was hoping i could link in before anyone else was after you! 🙂
I did have some crazy run-on sentences, didn’t I? I even forgot to breath during writing it. Haha! I guess it captures the mood. 🙂 You were up late, lady! Hope you’re getting some good rest and have a wonderful Friday.
i woke up and couldn’t sleep, so i got on to write my own. 🙂
i didn’t even notice your run-on sentences! i just meant because of what you were emoting. i was just feeling it with you, my friend.
hope today is so sweet for you. 🙂
well, i’ve found that sometimes these prompts bring out beautiful poetic responses and sometimes they just bring all the dross to the surface, know what i mean? but it’s all for the good! it doesn’t sound whiny—just your way of breathing deep, and i’m sure expressing what so many others have already or will go through in a day.
thanks for sharing your heart and may this new day be filled with many deep breaths 🙂
blessings.
That’s the beauty of Five Minute Friday, letting go of control. 🙂 I don’t know about you, but it’s good for me to do that once a week — any more and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. Haha! Thanks for your words of encouragement.
Oh Melissa, I’m sorry you had that kind of day. When it all begins to build taking a deep breath is vital. Take a deep breath, be still, and know that He is God. Praying today is a better day for you.
He is God. That’s the other thing I forgot. Of course, the deep breath and the realization that He is God seem to go hand in hand. Isn’t it funny how easily we can spin ourselves into a tizzy by allowing individual moments to overwhelm us? Thanks for your prayers, Jamie. Today will be a better day, because it is a new day. 🙂
I love your words here, friend. I feel like I spent so much by spinning myself into a tizzy! Forgetting, that He is God and NOT me.
sorry yesterday was so stressful. . .i know that overwhelming feeling all.too.well. praying that today is filled with lots of very deep inhales and exhales no matter what situation comes your way!!!
It’s all about remembering to breath through the experience, right? It brings perspective that eventually you’ll be through it. Hope you’re having a fantastic Friday, Lauren!
HEY!!! I wanna speak some truth over you. You are an AMAZING Mama. You are HUMAN. Your kiddos are WONDERFUL. They are also HUMAN. It’s okay to have hard days (in fact, I’d worry about you if you didn’t ). SO normal. It’s okay to cry out to your husband (and friends…and blogging community). It’s NOT whiny. In fact, the way you presented it felt extremely anti-whine. You explained each action, knowing full-well the causes of each situation. You also admitted knowing that deep breaths help (showing you took too much responsibility for your reactions to these situations.) You MIRACULOUSLY were able to put your husband before yourself by encouraging him to go play bass. WHAT?!?!? You are AMAZING. You did a wonderful job handling a difficult day. It is easy to loose it. It is easy to look back and see how we should have done it differently. Don’t beat yourself up! See yourself through your Father’s eyes: with love, compassion, grace, and encouragement. The nice thing is, each day starts over. Hope this one is easier to breath through! Love you!
This is why my love for you runs deep! 🙂
Thank you for taking a five minute breather to share that with me. Bless you!
Thanks for stopping by, Shanyn! 🙂
This was awesome and a birds eye view of young mom’s and the every day challenge of life as it is. Thank you for sharing I will pray that is is going to be better for you.
Today is going much better, thanks for the prayers, Sharon! 🙂
Im with you Melissa. Yesterday my post on facebook about “Its going to be a great day!” was positive thinking because I was SO overwhelmed! You are NOT alone!!! Today is a new day! Hooray!
Hooray, is right! 🙂 And…I’ve made today better by purchasing some lovely soft pink and gray yarn for a certain little girl’s top. It’s such a stress reliever for me. Suffice to say I’ve been thinking about you a lot today. Haha!
Yay!!!!! I’m so excited!! You are so sweet…
So glad you did share because as you can see, many of us have these mom moments where we don’t take the deep breaths and we suck it all in. Thanks so much for writing! 🙂
It’s so true that instead of exhaling it all out, and giving it to God, we suck it in and don’t allow Him or others to share our burden. Praying for you in your own mom moments today, Lonistel!
Oh, wow, that does NOT sound fun. I’ve sooooo been there, although I only have 3 kids NOT four. And, why does it seem that days like this strike on the same night when hubby has OT/volunteers at church/has small group/gets surprise tickets to the Mariner’s game!? Because, for me, it does.
Everyone else has already shared such profound things. I’m fresh outta profound. Oh, but this reminds me of one of my all time fav posts of yours: Why I Hate the Proverbs 31 Woman. I think we need a follow up to that post.
Haha! ONLY have 3 kids! That’s nothing to sneeze at! 🙂 I really enjoyed that post as well…I might have to take a second look at it. Thanks for the suggestion, Keri! 🙂
i always love how real you are about life and how some days just are full of holding our breath to get through only to collapse into the arms of love at the end of the day! hoping you’re getting some deep breaths in today and that this weekend is one full of inhales and exhales.
Today was full of pinwheels, pom-poms, paddleballs and Chick-fil-a. It was capped off by an evening laughing, tagging and sliding in the park. It was a great day!
yay!!! sounds fantastic =)
What a day!!! I’m sorry it was so rough!
There’s just days that are like that, huh? 🙂 Thank God for an understanding husband, and new days to start again.
Oh Melissa, thank you for letting us see the hard work that you stay at home mother’s go through. You are doing a wonderful job that has long-term blessings. As a father, I just want to say thank you, because you are a leader (you lead your children), a healer, a project manager, and many more things. Sometimes us men overlook this. So through your chaos of a day, I just want to say that us men appreciate you and your hard work which will produce great fruit in due time.
Keep it up Melissa… and don’t forget to take a deep breath! 🙂
Thanks, Moe! Us stay-at-home moms wouldn’t be able to do what we do without those working dads. It’s definitely a team effort. I don’t know what I’d do without my husband to encourage and support me.