With a family of five, three littles under five, requires juggling skills where I, the mother keep catching and throwing three balls. Thus, I keep various needs met by continuous movement. Between school schedule, doctor appointments, extra curricular (soccer currently), and family events (date nights, local fairs and seasonal treats), often our family calendar fills within a month and even sometimes several months out. Plus, as the family calendar keeper I consider the temperaments of me, the extrovert yearning for novelty and social interactions, and my husband the introvert who desires more open space for relaxed home lounging. Overall, for a successful juggling attempt, I must honor the littles eating and sleeping patterns as much as possible (skip snack or nap and face the gremlins), and adjust to the moods of the parents (tired, overstretched by grouchy kids or clients). Therefore, family life requires scheduled spontaneity as the Serenity Prayer states:
“God, grant me the serenityto accept the things I cannot changethe courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time,enjoying one moment at a time.Accepting hardships as the parthway to peace.Taking, as he did, the sinful world as it is, not as I would have it.Trusting that he will make all things right if I surrender to His will;that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever.”
—Reinhold Niebuhr, 1892-1971
So with the will to plan and the wisdom to let go, in motherhood I welcome the unexpected prepared. For example, instead of a fun family walk to explore seasonal decorations, I took my eldest son to urgent care. With a little research and preparation, I scheduled an appointment during a before nap and lunchtime window, while my husband watched the younger children. Furthermore, I inquired if the clinic possessed an x-ray machine to begin the process of diagnosis and treatment. After insisting on taking X-ray images of both wrists, we discovered both broken so I immediately scheduled an appointment with a pediatric orthopedic doctor first thing Monday morning. In the meantime, I informed my son’s soccer team and school of his injures and mentally prepared for several months of healing with possible casts, his little brother taking his spot in soccer and forgiving myself for allowing the injuries while on parent duty. The accident occurred, the rate of healing unknown, yet I shall prepare by scheduling treatments and allowing space to heal.
The schedule written in dry-erase marker not chiseled in stone sometimes adjust to include a different event- instead of a park meet up, an impromptu hockey game to support a family member. Instead of a haircut and library trip on a day off, (closed courtesy of hurricane Helene), a spontaneous spending spree at Target (large corporations cannot cower to potential inclement weather conditions). Thus shifting to the seasons helps weather the expected daily temperatures.
So as a mother juggling multiple balls, keep on catching and throwing, trusting in God-given gravity to ground you. This circus performance of motherhood requires organized chaos, such a planned spontaneous show!
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