If it is Necessary, it is Possible
Because it was important to me that I was the main caregiver for my children when they were young, and because their father and I were both young and not well paid, we made a lot of sacrifices.
After I quit my job to be a stay at home mom, I continued to do odd jobs to bring in money. Mostly, I babysat the neighborhood kids ($10/day/kid) and waited tables. I also cleaned houses and tended bar. Basically, I would do anything to make some money in a way that meant I could still be a mom and a wife first.
We lived in a two bedroom home which meant that the kids all shared a bedroom. After Eve was born, we had a crib and a set of bunk beds. The kids thought this was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to them. Logan, of course, got the top bunk. And Ceci was happy to have the bottom bunk as long as he'd let her come up and play castle in his bed during the day. But mostly, the crib was the place to be. They loved it!
My children had absolutely no idea how poor we were. Toys were cheap. And their favorite days consisted of a visit to the library followed by a picnic lunch at the park. Basically every Wednesday was the most magical day that existed.
Of course, having a small house and kids coming and going all of the time meant that the toy boxes were constantly full. The house was almost always cluttered with books, Legos, dolls, dress up clothes and other miscellaneous items that make children happy. And since being a stay at home mom was my goal, it was very important to me that our home was comfortable - as comfortable as possible. So, once a month or so, we would have a "de-clutter day" where I would get rid of the things that had piled up.
In the spirit of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," let me give you an example of how such a thing happens...
If you have children, you probably go to McDonalds. And if you go to McDonalds, you probably order a Happy Meal. And if you order a Happy Meal, you most definitely get a toy. And if you have more than one child, you absolutely get more than one toy... And we all know how that ends... with a toy box filled with cheap toys that meant so much to those children... for one day... However, those toys have since been forgotten.
So, in an attempt to create a sense of control over my situation, once a month I would literally dump out ALL of the toy boxes in the middle of the living room. I would trash anything that didn't have all of its working parts. Then I would sort the others, placing them in their appropriate box - Legos in Lego box. Action figures in action figure box. Happy Meal toys even had their own box.
If anyone had ever walked into my home during one of those "de-clutter days," they would have thought I was insane. The kids would be running around in a state of bliss, so happy to be reunited with old toys they'd forgotten about. And I would be sitting in the center of a heap of plastic playthings - smiling - because I had taken control... and I was making progress.
Why do I tell you this story? Because I have recently been reminded about those times as I live in my current situation. My home, filled with boxes of cabinets and furniture stacked to the ceiling. Piles of clothing sitting next to heaps of tools. My home, has been one big mess for much too long. And it's been difficult.
On a regular day, I come home and rearrange my furniture in a suitable fashion, wipe off the cement/drywall dust, and vacuum. It has been difficult to really be comfortable in any way, but I haven't been discouraged.
Why is that? Because it's all moving into the right direction.
Today was the first day of recognizable progress - finality to some rooms. Today, things have started to fall into place.
Sure, there is still a lot of clutter. There are still boxes of cabinets stacked to the ceiling in my living room, surrounded by everything that was once in a kitchen cabinet, and all covered with drywall dust. My furniture is not where it belongs and some of it is even in the wrong room. There are tools and paint in every corner of my living area. There are walls that are open with electrical wires exposed.
But I see progress. I see a bunch of piles and a trashcan and a lot of moving parts. I see that one day, one day soon, I will have the home I've always wanted. The home that we've been working so hard to create. I see me - 20 year old me - in the middle of all of the chaos, smiling, because it's all coming together. And knowing that even the difficult times are worth it.
Nothing has ever come easy for me. Nothing has ever just "happened." But I have been very fortunate. I am surrounded by people who love me and want to see me succeed. I have been blessed to be healthy and strong, both mentally and physically.
I have received everything I've ever dreamed of. I am so very blessed and I know it. Even on the days when I want nothing more than to have someone else take care of me and my issues, I know that God never gave me more than I could handle. And He never will.
To end these random thoughts, I will share with you my extremely poignant fortune from my chinese take-out last night (yes, yes, yes. Sometimes my blogs start from something so simple and silly as a fortune cookie).
So, here it is, "It is possible because it is necessary."
Oh, how true that is. The dear person sitting at the typewriter with fortune cookie duty got it spot on this time!
My three children, they are the light of my life. And because of them, it is necessary... so for them, anything is possible.
The End
After I quit my job to be a stay at home mom, I continued to do odd jobs to bring in money. Mostly, I babysat the neighborhood kids ($10/day/kid) and waited tables. I also cleaned houses and tended bar. Basically, I would do anything to make some money in a way that meant I could still be a mom and a wife first.
We lived in a two bedroom home which meant that the kids all shared a bedroom. After Eve was born, we had a crib and a set of bunk beds. The kids thought this was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to them. Logan, of course, got the top bunk. And Ceci was happy to have the bottom bunk as long as he'd let her come up and play castle in his bed during the day. But mostly, the crib was the place to be. They loved it!
Of course, having a small house and kids coming and going all of the time meant that the toy boxes were constantly full. The house was almost always cluttered with books, Legos, dolls, dress up clothes and other miscellaneous items that make children happy. And since being a stay at home mom was my goal, it was very important to me that our home was comfortable - as comfortable as possible. So, once a month or so, we would have a "de-clutter day" where I would get rid of the things that had piled up.
In the spirit of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," let me give you an example of how such a thing happens...
If you have children, you probably go to McDonalds. And if you go to McDonalds, you probably order a Happy Meal. And if you order a Happy Meal, you most definitely get a toy. And if you have more than one child, you absolutely get more than one toy... And we all know how that ends... with a toy box filled with cheap toys that meant so much to those children... for one day... However, those toys have since been forgotten.
So, in an attempt to create a sense of control over my situation, once a month I would literally dump out ALL of the toy boxes in the middle of the living room. I would trash anything that didn't have all of its working parts. Then I would sort the others, placing them in their appropriate box - Legos in Lego box. Action figures in action figure box. Happy Meal toys even had their own box.
If anyone had ever walked into my home during one of those "de-clutter days," they would have thought I was insane. The kids would be running around in a state of bliss, so happy to be reunited with old toys they'd forgotten about. And I would be sitting in the center of a heap of plastic playthings - smiling - because I had taken control... and I was making progress.
Why do I tell you this story? Because I have recently been reminded about those times as I live in my current situation. My home, filled with boxes of cabinets and furniture stacked to the ceiling. Piles of clothing sitting next to heaps of tools. My home, has been one big mess for much too long. And it's been difficult.
On a regular day, I come home and rearrange my furniture in a suitable fashion, wipe off the cement/drywall dust, and vacuum. It has been difficult to really be comfortable in any way, but I haven't been discouraged.
Why is that? Because it's all moving into the right direction.
Today was the first day of recognizable progress - finality to some rooms. Today, things have started to fall into place.
Sure, there is still a lot of clutter. There are still boxes of cabinets stacked to the ceiling in my living room, surrounded by everything that was once in a kitchen cabinet, and all covered with drywall dust. My furniture is not where it belongs and some of it is even in the wrong room. There are tools and paint in every corner of my living area. There are walls that are open with electrical wires exposed.
But I see progress. I see a bunch of piles and a trashcan and a lot of moving parts. I see that one day, one day soon, I will have the home I've always wanted. The home that we've been working so hard to create. I see me - 20 year old me - in the middle of all of the chaos, smiling, because it's all coming together. And knowing that even the difficult times are worth it.
Nothing has ever come easy for me. Nothing has ever just "happened." But I have been very fortunate. I am surrounded by people who love me and want to see me succeed. I have been blessed to be healthy and strong, both mentally and physically.
I have received everything I've ever dreamed of. I am so very blessed and I know it. Even on the days when I want nothing more than to have someone else take care of me and my issues, I know that God never gave me more than I could handle. And He never will.To end these random thoughts, I will share with you my extremely poignant fortune from my chinese take-out last night (yes, yes, yes. Sometimes my blogs start from something so simple and silly as a fortune cookie).
So, here it is, "It is possible because it is necessary."
Oh, how true that is. The dear person sitting at the typewriter with fortune cookie duty got it spot on this time!
My three children, they are the light of my life. And because of them, it is necessary... so for them, anything is possible.
The End
You have a special gift of tapping into feelings without being preachy. Keep up the writing please
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