Priorities

I have 2 baskets of unfolded laundry in the living room, several dismantled baby items in the hallway, a LOT of dusting to do, and two bathrooms that need to be cleaned. I cannot even begin to tell you how much this bothers me. It drives me crazy.

I can never seem to stay completely on top of all of the household tasks. There's always something that needs to be done - sorting through old toys, switching out seasonal clothes, weeds to be pulled in the yard, or those chores that always seem to be put off - like dusting the fan blades. I have a hard time relaxing when I have a list of tasks that need to be taken care of.

Lately Mac has asked me several time to play with him, and I've declined each time, due to the fact that I had to work on something else. Last week he asked me again and my initial reaction was to decline again, but then I had this realization, "My son wants me to play with him. Why am I saying 'no?' It's not like this task has to be done right now." In that moment I felt so sad when I realized that he had asked me to spend time with him and I had previously declined several times. Why was I so focused on finishing that task? Why did it matter so much?

It matters because we all seem to think that a person's worth depends on how much they accomplish.  In a lot of ways, a person's worth is in fact, determined by what they accomplish. True. However, I think a balance that needs to be established when it comes to spending time with your family. It's so easy to get caught up in the things that need to get done at home or extra money that needs to be earned, that time with your family, your children, slips away. Never to be replaced. They won't always be young.

I have come across several adults with grown children who regret not spending more time with their children when they were young. This is not a regret that I want to have in life. Not at all. Have you ever come across someone who said, "I wish my parents had spent more time cleaning the house and less time hanging out with us." Probably not. So I think those weeds can wait a little bit longer and those fan blades can be cleaned later.

I'm not encouraging you to allow your house to fall into a sanitation hazard, or to quit your job and become homeless all for the sake of family time. But I do think it's important to keep your family time a priority. Set aside time to spend with your little ones. Don't be afraid to temporarily set aside a task to play. Your children will only be small for a short time. Don't allow these precious moments to slip away.