Today was the day I have been dreading….the worst day of the year. It was not what you’d think.
No annual physical, no spring cleaning in the children’s rooms, no fillings at the dentist would get me down like this.
I know I am pathetic. The day I dread, above all other days, is our homeschool group’s annual Valentine’s Day Skating Party.
Memories of past skating parties floated through my thoughts as I lay in bed this morning, steeling myself for the day, and ticking off the reasons in my mind why I dread this day.
First, it must be known that none of my kids can skate. The skating party, for me, is a whirlwind of lacing up skates and taking off skates. By the time I have put skates on three kids, one has decided to remove their skates. Five minutes later, skating jealousy sets in and the child in question wants to put their skates on again.
Then there is the tug of war. I walk around the rink with my arms stretched out (one child holding my left hand and a chain of two kids attached to my right) while experienced skaters whizz by on either side. We take four or five steps before someone falls and I must find a way to support the two children on my right hand while dragging the one on my left side back to his feet. Then the two on the right hand trip over one another and we start the tug of war again. Inevitably, our littlest has to go to the bathroom when we are at the furthest opposite corner of the rink. I ask myself, “Will we ever make it in time?”.
Every year I have looked enviously toward the mothers at the snack bar. They laugh and talk about curriculum over Diet Coke and cupcakes while I try to adjust the baby skates so that the wheels only roll forward.
I knew my attitude was bad, and I determined to adjust it. Why am I always so frustrated and annoyed at the skating party? The answer is just as pathetic as my attitude. It’s because I want to sit and drink Coke and talk with my friends while my kids take care of their own needs.
On no other day of the year do I expect this. My days are full of caring for their needs, and I am glad to serve them. So why should this day be any different? I decided in advance that I would not even dream of sitting down to chat, or of doing anything other than putting on skates, playing tug of war, and taking off skates.
As it turns out, everyone had a wonderful time, including me. Changing my expectations changed everything! When I expected to enjoy myself, I felt put out by my tedious duties. But when I expected to serve, I was able to enjoy serving, and able to appreciate the stolen snatches of conversation, the chance to sit down for a few minutes and the joy of being with my children.
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