The "Natural" Disaster

I had an unexpected guest this evening.  It was a last minute work thing for my husband.  My husband was supposed to meet the guest outside the apartment and drop off an envelope.


I suppose that the evenings in my mind are reserved for my peace and quiet time.  But tonight, the world had other plans. My son had just been put down for bed when I saw my husbands phone ringing.  The man he was supposed to meet was outside.  I of course not wanting to be rude invited him in.  Well, the kind man had quite the booming voice and a whole lot to say.  I was completely distracted unfortunately by my home looking like it had been hit by a tornado.  So I welcomed him in, and my son subsequently began to scream.  He knew someone was here.  He wanted to visit.  It was unfortunate that we hadn't just accidentally kept him up another five minutes.   Our night would've been much different.  Anyway, my husband is now frantically trying to find this envelope with no success.  So I continue some awkward conversations with our impromptu guest.  Suffice it to say, it was a long 30 minutes.  But at the end, a redeeming quality.  Our guest taught me something very unexpected.  The importance of positive thoughts in the morning.  He expressed his frustrating in waking up every morning.  He always felt like he could wait to get back in to bed that night.  Even before he was out!  He then told me something that I will never forget.  His life coach asked him "would you be happy if I gave you $20,000 right now?".  His answer being like all of ours I'm sure was "YES!".  His Life Coach responded by saying "what are you waiting for??".  I'm sure I mirrored his response "what?". The Life coach then went on to explain that he was waiting to be happy.  He was putting it off until some lucky break!  What are we waiting for?  Happiness is within our grasp no matter our circumstances.  What is holding us back?  The truth is we are holding ourselves back.  We are the real reason we're not happy.  And that, was a life lesson worth the thirty minutes.  I learned more about myself and recent feeling in thirty minutes than I have in 21 years.  That man will never know the impact he had on me.  What a blessing that it all worked out the way it did!

With my son, it's a rare occasion that I'm not cleaning up some sort of "natural" (Aedan) disaster.  

For example: Tuesday morning I was getting ready to meet a friend for a walk at 10 am.  At 9:30 am I started getting my son ready.  Changed his diaper, fed him.  By 9:45 am I went to my room to put on my tennis shoes.  I came out at 9:50 am to find my son rolling and vacuuming water up off the ground in our kitchen.  I watch him for a moment, looking like Shamu at SeaWorld.  Then I look to my left and find that he had emptied our 2.5 gallon water jug.  It was still emptying like a soft waterfall.  He's delighted, as though he'd been in the Sahara desert and hadn't seen water in weeks.  I on the other hand have but 10 minutes to get to the park.  So I try to take a deep breath.  This doesn't quite help.  Low and behold, there is still a pool in my kitchen.  So I throw down three towels.  To my dismay, this doesn't even put a dent in this disaster.  So I decide, for my sanity, to just get out the door and go.  As I lift my son from his version of Raging Waters his diaper lets out a colossal roar. 

The similarities are undeniable.

 I have one foot across the threshold when I realize there is excrement everywhere.  It is now 10 am.  I realize that as a parent, you can not put your second foot out the door when your child has a dirty diaper.  So I head back in to change him.  As I pull off the diaper and begin the frantic job of trying to contain this bio hazard, he reaches down grabs the diaper, and throws it like he's pitching in the world series for the San Francisco Giants.  It is now 10:05 am.  I am already 5 minutes late and no closer to leaving the house.  I now have a lake in my kitchen, and a room with newly painted brown walls.  I take a deep breath.  This does no good.  I feel like pooping in my own hands and throwing it all over the walls in frustration.  Finally, my sons "bunners" (as we call his bum) are clean.  He is dressed and I am cleaning the excrement from the walls.  I wish I had a hazmat suit, but that is for sissies.  I am a mother.  I've got to deal.  It's the closest I've come to death I tell you.  So finally, with a pool in my kitchen, and a newly painted room, I leave my house as quickly as possible in a sorry attempt at finding sanity.  As I arrive at the park with my odometer reading "danger, going to explode" at 10:24 am, I begin to tell my friend everything.  As I finish my story she is laughing hysterically.  Only then do I realize the hilarity of it all!  The most important thing, is to try to keep your cool just long enough to laugh about it with a friend.  I am now telling this story with a smile on my face and a memory to last a lifetime.  Even though, that morning, I may have decided it was the worst morning I'd ever had.

I guess what I'd like to leave you with today is this: Happiness is within your reach.  But you have to choose it.  It won't choose you.  And, try to take a deep breath, and walk away.  Never take yourself too seriously.  It'll be the end of all humanity. 

God bless, and good night.