Dear Crabby,
I’m the parent of four very small children. I love to read. However, every time I try to sit down with a good book, I am bombarded with various interruptions. I end up reading and rereading the same two sentences over and over. I have become so frustrated that I have stopped trying to read. Is it worth trying to pursue my passion again?
Sincerely, Frazzled Frannie
Dear Frazzled Frannie,
It seems like I have been where you are myself. I know that at times we can get so focused on the little annoyances that we lose sight of the greater experience. I can remember this one incident when I was a young man while working diligently on a project in my garage and this happened to me. I was intently focusing on the project and this little bird kept tweeting and singing in a tree in my backyard. I scared him off two or three times, but within minutes he would be back chirping away. I finally got so frustrated that I went and chopped the tree down! The little bird flew away and found another tree to sing in. I had my quiet time at last. After about ten minutes I could not stand the sheer silence
anymore, so I went back outside to listen for the songbird, but it was gone. No matter how hard I tried to hear him, there was nothing but thick silence in the air. I did what any good ole boy my age would do, I got a record player and put Elvis on! But even the King in all his tunes could not replace the simple beauty of that little songbird. After a bit I realized that I allowed the annoyance to overshadow the great picture. I would encourage you mothers with the overactive young ones to think this through and learn from my mistake. Treasure that moment and look beyond the annoyance that seems so huge. Remember that they are only little for a brief moment and that before you know they will be bratty teenagers or unemployed young adults that still live off you! Okay, hopefully they will not be both, but you get my point – the beauty of the interruptions become more apparent the older I get. I think that’s why the creator invented grandparents; we can sit back and enjoy those kids, spoil them with our love and candy, then send them home with their parents when they are out of hand! I love my grandparent role! Maybe you can use the songbird story as a mental reminder for you. As those little ones are interrupting and getting on your nerves, just say silently, “Songbird, Songbird, come sing that song, you once were mine and now you’re gone!” Maybe my mistake can serve as a reminder to hold on to the beautiful things. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Sincerely, Dear Crabby
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