That’s what my seven year old told me last night.
I really didn’t realize he was watching me the way he was in that moment. Well, I should have, because he wanted to show me the movie Chicken Little, which I don’t know how in 20 years of motherhood I’ve never seen, and I told him I’d watch it BUT the kitchen and the living room were calling me.
Clean me. You can watch the movie when it’s cleaned.
That’s what all those things told me.
And trust me, I’m a “just do the dishes” kind of mom. After all, I wrote the post that went viral about how doing the dishes made me a better mom. And they do. BUT, in this instance, doing the dishes needed to wait. Not because my son couldn’t have waited five minutes more, but because he saw his mom, the one he loves, running around like crazy and not resting.
Just take a break, mom.
That’s what he said.
And those words of wisdom freed me from my own hierarchy of perceived order. Being a mom is like walking on this tightrope of choices and wavering back and forth and back and forth and sometimes choosing dishes and sometimes choosing a movie but realizing that in it all we are loving our kids and giving of us for them.
So I sat with him. While the dishes on the counter waited.
Isn’t a break nice, mom?
That’s what he said as he rested his seven year old only for a moment because they grow fast head on my arm.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes when we take a break we teach our kids the other side of life and how sometimes there are moments that we need to embrace. Remember that tightrope? My kids know that the dishes need to be done, but last night? Last night I taught them, or rather my seven year old taught me, that sometimes saying no to the busy and yes to them matters more in that moment.
So sweet mom, rest knowing you’re doing a good job.
When you do the dishes.
And when you take a break.
~Rachel
#findingjoy
ps. to read my OTHER perspective go here -> just do the dishes. the kids will be fine.
