Friday night thoughts

It's Friday night. I'm drinking hot apple cider. Yes, in the middle of July. It's cooled down this last week and we have thoroughly enjoyed turning off the a/c and opening up the windows. I think Wednesday's high was 80. Perfect. I'm sure this weather's short-lived, but I'll enjoy it while I can.  Anyway, this apple cider is tasting pretty good, and after a long day of playing catch up from yet another busy week, I'd say it's well deserved. I made some headway on wedding photos today, and while I really ought to be back at it, I think I'm going to indulge just a bit and write. I'm in the mood to write, don't get to do it very often, and happen to have something to share, so here goes...

This evening as I was rinsing dishes, I had the following thought:

"It would be so nice if for one day, there were no dishes to rinse."

Well, then I started thinking about all the other things that I'd love to NOT have to deal with for one day. Laundry. Sticky floors. Toilets (specifically after Ryan has done his business). Toys cluttering my floors. Whining. Before I got too carried away with my thoughts, my initial thought about the dishes came fluttering back to my mind, which was then replaced by this thought:

"But isn't it nice that I have dishes to rinse? Chances are, if there were no dishes to rinse, there would be no family to dirty them. And if there were no family to dirty them, well, that would probably make for a pretty lonely me."

Then I smiled. Really, I did. Because right then and there it hit me just how lucky I am.

I'm sure this thought stemmed from a recent conversation I had with my mom about housework.  In empathizing with my struggle to maintain a consistently clean home, she expressed her gratitude for a husband who wants to spend time with her.  She said that sometimes, as a result of the time she and my dad spend together reading, watching old movies, taking walks, or enjoying a long, meaningful discussion, the dishes sit on the counter, waiting to be rinsed.  She concluded, however, that she'd rather have a dusty, disorganized home and a devoted husband who absolutely adores her (which he does!), than a spotless, organized home and no husband (or one who would rather golf with his buddies than spend time with her).  {Might I add, these parents, of whom I speak, will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary this September?}  While it's a simple concept, it's had a lasting impact on me, and tonight I thought up my own version of it.

By the time I put my kids to bed every night I feel spent. My back is achy, my patience is low, and I'm generally overwhelmed by the tasks that still lie ahead, both that night (since that's commonly the only time I can depend on getting anything done) and the following day. And while the last thing I feel like doing, after stumbling down the stairs, is tackling any dish, laundry pile, sticky spot on the floor, or stubborn child who refuses to go to sleep, I wouldn't have it any other way.

{June 2010 - courtesy of Danette Kay Photography}

"Life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."  - Gordon B. Hinckley