The Tree Swing

I've been feeling a little off lately. Sometimes life doesn't go according to plan and instead you trip over a toy in the floor and break the two smallest toes on one foot, forcing you to stay off of it for several days. Then maybe you get a one inch long gash on the top of your head from an open medicine cabinet door and have to cover it up with your bangs so as not to gross everyone out or draw unwanted attention to yourself. And yes, I am very accident prone. Its amazing that I haven't broken anything else on my body yet. Add to that a sick daughter and everything that comes with that (high fever, melt downs, clinginess and feeling miserable), and well...it's easy to feel a little off.

Yesterday Avery started feeling better again, and since it was so nice outside we went out to the backyard after dinner. I mean seriously--who could ask for better weather at the end of July in Missouri??? I found a toddler swing for Avery a few weeks ago and Josh installed it on a tree branch that I knew would be the perfect spot for a swing. After playing in the yard awhile, Avery wanted to swing so I put her in. She was content to swing for a good long time and I was happy to keep pushing her. Something about the repetitive motion of the swing swaying back and forth, the perfect temperature outside, the creak of the gate as Josh went to water the garden...it was soothing. We listened to the birds chirping and the dogs barking and the leaves swishing in the wind. I looked up through the tree branches with all their green leaves and could see the blue sky. I knew that would be a perfect spot for a swing. What I didn't know is how much good it would do for me, too. Thanks God, for answering my prayer for a swing for Avery...and for me.

My To-Do List

I like to make myself a to-do list every week and keep it visible on the kitchen counter. I have to smile in amusement when I make my lists these days thinking of how different my tasks are now from what they used to be as a full-time office employee. As a stay-at-home mom, my lists now include things like, "Do Avery's laundry" and "Change out carseat buckle". My to-do lists help me remember the things I tend to forget about until right before bed when I think, "Oh yeah, I forgot to do ____."

This week I had an unusual "task" on my to-do list...to write a letter to a friend. This is the only way I have of communicating with her right now in her current situation. So last night instead of getting on Facebook or Pintrest like I usually do after my daughter is in bed, I decided to sit down and write to her. I dug out my stationery box (yes, I actually do still have one), but I had to dig down to the bottom under blank cards and unused stickers until I finally found some stationery paper. It's pink and I've probably had it since I was 12! After writing for awhile, I thought about how rare it is for me to write anymore. Occasionally I'll force myself to sit down and write in my journal, but even then its usually about what new things Avery is doing or saying and not really about my thoughts or what's been going on in my life. Even emailing someone seldom happens anymore. Why email when you can just send short texts while you're busy doing something else? Who has time to sit down and write? Not me. Oh yeah, but I do have time for Facebook and Pintrest. Hmmmm...

So this evening of writing to my friend instead of getting on social media made me think...I don't have to always check Facebook. That should not be something on my mental to-do list. And speaking of to-do lists, I don't always have to have one. Sure, they are nice to help me remember things and it feels so good when I get to cross something off. But life isn't about just crossing things off my list. Playing with my daughter and giving her my attention isn't something I can just do and say, "Check! That's done for today." Spending time reading my Bible and praying isn't something I can do and then say, "Check! I've been a good Christian for today...now I'm done." And I have to keep reminding myself of that. I don't want to let my to-do lists, whether mental or actual, control me. So if I made an actual to-do list inspired by this blog post, I think it should look something like this:

-Spend time being present, whether its an actual place or in someone's company
-Pray without ceasing
-Spend less time on social media and more time writing and drawing! :o)

What's on your to-do list right now?