Show Up, Pay Attention, Speak Your Truth, Don't Be Attached to Outcome
I'm not sure how long ago I first heard this and the idea that each of us struggles more with one than others I just know it has been SO helpful in dealing with different kinds of people. I SEE it!
My bf shows up but on his time schedule, in fact we have a nickname for it. And to be honest sometimes he doesn’t show. I’ve seen him fly across the country 3 days later than originally planned – yes he paid for the flight change.
My daughter is super smart, great in school and yet struggles with Paying Attention. My friends have given her the nickname Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter… smart but dingy is what I call it… I can be guilty at times too.
My best friends for some reason both struggle with telling the truth to avoid conflict. It drives me nuts, if you don’t feel like doing something this weekend just SAY SO!
My greatest challenge is the last one... Boy do I experience that time and again. I will have an entire weekend planned out.
Friday swing by my daughter's school to pick her up and then I will go by the grocery store to make something special and then go by the shoe store and find the perfect pair of shoes for that blouse I was given then home to make my wonderful dinner everyone will love while watching the Netflix blu-ray that is in the mailbox waiting to be picked up.
Saturday morning wake up early and make breakfast before visiting the SWAP meet with my family and getting the organic produce for the week and maybe browse the book sellers for a great, quick weekend read. Come home and put everything away before visiting friends that evening. We will have a great evening sitting around and talking while the kids play. My bf and I will leave and come home (my daughter spends the night) and cozy up on the couch and watch a movie together before falling asleep spooning.
Sunday, wake up to sunlight coming through the curtains, enjoy a cup of coffee and a couple hours of reading my book while he sleeps in. Enjoy the back patio and the sound of the ducks in the pond and children laughing in the pool before getting ready to BBQ back at friend’s house for an early dinner and then home to prepare for work and school the next day.
Is it really too much to ask the weekend be that simple and smooth?
YES! Here is reality...
Friday - First there is never any "swinging by" to pick up my daughter from school and Friday is the worst. Why can't these parents get their kids and leave? Why are they #1 double parked chatting away for 10 minutes so no one can even go aroudn them #2 sitting in their car when all the kids are in it for 15 minutes or #3 parked with a 1/2 car length in front of them and about 3/4 behing them???
Next the store... where the lines are insanely long and they only have 2 of the 6 things I needed to make my Friday night masterpiece dinner... so that means at least one grocery store to go to. Shoes, yeah well you know that cute pair I was going to pick up that I saw last week... They only have them in sizes smaller than mine and as cute as they are I am getting older darn it and pain just doesn't make me feel sexy anymore. Before you ask - No, there really aren't any other pair that would work. Sigh. So off to the second grocery store where the lines are longer than the first and there wasn't any parking to begin with and my daughter is tired and it's hot and she wants to go home (like I don't?) and they have 3 of the items but I am still missing the last one that I NEED for dinner... Oh hell... Who am I kidding, it's Friday, it's take out or delivery night. Next, home to pick up that blu-ray only to find no movie and it’s time to pay bills again. The evening consists of bf playing xbox and daughter on sorority life while I look at the back of their heads wondering if they know I’m there.
Saturday – Sooooo tired I actually sleep in too late to make breakfast much less get any good produce from the SWAP meet and with no real purpose to go other than looking at books (of which I have too many and just piss off the bf when I bring home more) I pass and think of what else we could do for fun until dinner with friends tonight. I have many ideas but all of them consist of my daughter actually getting dressed (I’m not really one to talk though) and my bf actually waking up. At this point I’m wishing I at least had a book to read. Before I know it it’s time to be at our friend’s house. The bf is just getting up and starting to move, still needs to shower and will just meet us over there. My daughter can’t find matching socks and I am OVER IT! We go to our friend’s house and the men are in the Man Cave and wondering where my bf is. On his way… the Mrs. and I talk kids and dinner and find something to watch in the house World of Warcraft is just not that interesting to me (what is with men and video games?) My bf finally arrives and dinner is ready, we eat, we talk and then it’s late and time to go. I follow him home in my car and when we get home we enjoy a movie on Netflix via xbox with a GROUP. Sorry but even if they can’t see me I am NOT into group sex, which means no sex and so I change into pajamas and go to bed.
Sunday – Honestly, at this point I’ve given up. Whatever happens, happens.
