Here's something they never tell you in parenting manual (oh, there IS no such manual by the way): how you'll do just about anything for a few quiet moments of peace and calm. Or that it's uncanny how much your kids grow up to behave much like you.
I never imagined I'd be sneaking off to the bathroom to take a few moments to read a magazine or a couple of pages from a book - just to have some quiet. What's even more surprising is how frustrated my kids become the instant the door shuts.
Thinking back on my childhood, it's only fair. My own mother used to sit in the bathroom with the door closed so she could read, have devotionals and quiet time - away from me, the always-chatty, ever-present daughter at her hip. The closed door irritated me and only exacerbated my need to chat. Instead of respecting that boundary, it became my quest to scale it by whatever means possible. As soon as I was able to read/write, I'd slip her annoying notes (I meant them as love notes, but I don't think that's how they were received) under the door. I'd knock quietly to make some much-needed request for a cookie or a snack. I was relentless.
It's ironic how life cycles through nearly twenty-five years later. My own children can barely stand to have the door shut. And while they're not yet reading/writing, I'm certain that's only a matter of time before they start slipping me notes (or texting me).
I now have a deep, intimate understanding why Mom took a few minutes alone - to sit silently and enjoy a few moments of calm in the middle of the day. And why shouldn't she have? She devoted every other minute of her day to her family's well being. Stealing just a moments away was what she needed. And it's exactly what I need, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment