Immediately after Zeb's adoption became permanent we traveled home.
Home.
That word just has a lovely ring to it, doesn't it?
Home to where we both grew up. It will always be home to us. :)
The next morning I pushed through a normally fun workout.
But...it felt overly hard.
I took Anneli shopping. I felt overly exhausted.
My muscles hurt.
I felt as though I might pass out.
I had eaten properly but grabbed a healthy snack anyway. (Oh thank you Trader Joe, might you come open a store near me??? Please pretty, please??)
The snack didn't help.
By that afternoon I was seeking solace on a front room sofa of the home where we were partying for my niece.
Pain had begun.
I don't know what the name of this Mr. Virus was, but he took me down.
Hard.
I laid in bed for 4 days. Writhing in pain for a good day and a half.
No appetite.
No energy.
Just serious stomach cramping and back muscle pain.
I could do nothing.
Easter came and went.
I could hear the family gathering in the outer rooms.
Laughter, dogs barking as they played, children's pitter pattering feet and squeals of delight!
Apparently Easter happened.
The next day I watched on Facebook (via phone) all the lovely family pictures taken in outfits of lovely pastel hues. I never even saw my children the entire day. It was that bad.
Fortunately for me, we have a Kindle! I re-read Crazy Love by Francis Chan, watched the entire season of Downton Abbey and read another 450 page novel after that!
Today, I got up.
(Yes, somewhere in there we drove the 3 hours home. But it took 4. Don't ask.)
Have you ever felt like your days are mundane?
Wonder if maybe your work really may not matter?
Has your spouse ever come home and asked, "So honey, what did you do today?" and you know you were busy but couldn't really point to any one thing?
Ever felt that?
When I got up today, I realized one thing quite clearly:
OMW.
Like for real.
Nothing Very little had been unpacked.
Nothing Very little had been put away.
Nothing Very little had been tidied.
And...no laundry had been washed.
Multiply that times 7 people, take out 1 for illness and multiply times 100 for the work that she normally performs on behalf of the other 6 and well...you get a royal disaster.
My point is...
the daily tasks of "keeping house" and shaping the lives of children may not LOOK like much, but it is.
Oh, how it is.
And sometimes it takes a nasty Mr. Virus to sweep me off my feet for me to understand that no matter how repetitive it may seem, my work matters.
Point taken.
Lesson learned.
Mr. Virus, will you please go now?!
(Truth be told, I have laundry to heave up and down stairs, beds to change, a vacuum to run, floors to sweep but it took me forever and a day just to clean the kitchen and I needed a break...so you got a blog post!!)
*I must take a moment to specially thank my amazing husband who DID do so very much while I laid there on the bed in agony. He called off work so I wouldn't have to travel in my condition. And to my extended family as well. Easter memories were not denied any of my children! And a special thanks to a dear KM who took amazing care of me after we came back to our house once Brian and kids returned to work/school!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! I am humbled by your love and acts of service. I could not have survived without you. Bless you all!!!
Home.
That word just has a lovely ring to it, doesn't it?
Home to where we both grew up. It will always be home to us. :)
The next morning I pushed through a normally fun workout.
But...it felt overly hard.
I took Anneli shopping. I felt overly exhausted.
My muscles hurt.
I felt as though I might pass out.
I had eaten properly but grabbed a healthy snack anyway. (Oh thank you Trader Joe, might you come open a store near me??? Please pretty, please??)
The snack didn't help.
By that afternoon I was seeking solace on a front room sofa of the home where we were partying for my niece.
Pain had begun.
I don't know what the name of this Mr. Virus was, but he took me down.
Hard.
I laid in bed for 4 days. Writhing in pain for a good day and a half.
No appetite.
No energy.
Just serious stomach cramping and back muscle pain.
I could do nothing.
Easter came and went.
I could hear the family gathering in the outer rooms.
Laughter, dogs barking as they played, children's pitter pattering feet and squeals of delight!
Apparently Easter happened.
The next day I watched on Facebook (via phone) all the lovely family pictures taken in outfits of lovely pastel hues. I never even saw my children the entire day. It was that bad.
Fortunately for me, we have a Kindle! I re-read Crazy Love by Francis Chan, watched the entire season of Downton Abbey and read another 450 page novel after that!
Today, I got up.
(Yes, somewhere in there we drove the 3 hours home. But it took 4. Don't ask.)
Have you ever felt like your days are mundane?
Wonder if maybe your work really may not matter?
Has your spouse ever come home and asked, "So honey, what did you do today?" and you know you were busy but couldn't really point to any one thing?
Ever felt that?
When I got up today, I realized one thing quite clearly:
MY WORK MATTERS.
OMW.
Like for real.
And...no laundry had been washed.
Multiply that times 7 people, take out 1 for illness and multiply times 100 for the work that she normally performs on behalf of the other 6 and well...you get a royal disaster.
My point is...
the daily tasks of "keeping house" and shaping the lives of children may not LOOK like much, but it is.
Oh, how it is.
And sometimes it takes a nasty Mr. Virus to sweep me off my feet for me to understand that no matter how repetitive it may seem, my work matters.
Point taken.
Lesson learned.
Mr. Virus, will you please go now?!
(Truth be told, I have laundry to heave up and down stairs, beds to change, a vacuum to run, floors to sweep but it took me forever and a day just to clean the kitchen and I needed a break...so you got a blog post!!)
*I must take a moment to specially thank my amazing husband who DID do so very much while I laid there on the bed in agony. He called off work so I wouldn't have to travel in my condition. And to my extended family as well. Easter memories were not denied any of my children! And a special thanks to a dear KM who took amazing care of me after we came back to our house once Brian and kids returned to work/school!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! I am humbled by your love and acts of service. I could not have survived without you. Bless you all!!!
Thanks Amy! For posting that is! I too realize that what I do, no matter how mundane, matters. Having been out of circulation for a few weeks in March showed me that fact.
ReplyDeleteJoanne
Sorry that you weren't feeling well friend... but I'm glad we got a post out of it! ;)
ReplyDelete