I Needed that Nachat(s)
I think every mother out there (and some fathers too) should be able to relate to the type of week we have had. There was a lot of important things that had to be done and there were deadlines looming overhead. I had a number of phone calls to make and needed cooperation. Whatever I cleaned got messed up again. The baby refused to be put down, went through an entire closet full of clothing, and wouldn't sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time. I developed a huge headache and it seemed like nobody was listening and absorbing the conversations that I was trying to have.
Then, because a certain neighbor of the Bubbe variety saw me tearing my hair out during the two brief times that she saw me , she felt the need to give me unsolicited advice that made me doubt my parenting (if only for a second).
So, just when I was feeling a bit low about the week, my 2 year old trounces into my room while dinner was on the stove and says very loudly, "Ki Le'olam hasdo. Mommy, what does THAT mean?"
Fortunately I had the answer and this inquiry made a difficult week end on a high note. Shabbat Shalom. Ki Le'olam hasdo indeed. I'm sure Shabbat and the coming week will be just fantastic.
7 comments:
It's not much of a challenge to point to chasdei Hashem when everything is going as you like. The trick is seeing "chasdo" even when things appear to be going against you.
We all have days like this. Hope things are calmer now. Babies and deadlines just don't seem to mix.
We had a rough week full of stomach viruses, laundry, back to night classes for RaggedyDad, him telling me that he'll likely be away for work for 2 weeks just before Pesach (!!), me not feeling well, etc.
As hard as it was to pull it together for the planned Shabbos sleepover company and meal guests, my three-year-old requesting her favorite zemer at lunch (Baruch Kel Elyon) and my pushing myself to comply managed to change my state of mind.
Sounds like you pushed through those rough days pretty well. There's nothing like young children to force us over the hump!
That's annoying, I just wrote a very long comment and it vanished. Trying again...
I was just talking about your "drive by parenting" post to my single friend who was visitng last week. She ahd the misfortune to smile politely at our local busybody, a person who has advice on every possible topic, and will go on and on about what she is sure you are doing wrong and why her way is the only right way. My single friend had to listen to a lecture on what she should be looking for, how she should go about dating, and why she should go on a date witht his person's friend who was 12 years older than her. All of this to a single who she had never met and knew nothing about.
I am so proud of you for having the self-confidence to know that the way you are parenting is the right way for your kids and your family, regardless of what these people (well-meaning or not) have to say.
Nobody likes a busybody. Period.
I can definitely relate - I had an idea how hard parenting would be, but you don't really know until you experience it. A little while ago, my wife and baby were both sick. Our baby had RSV, so we had to use a nebulizer on Shabbos (with a timer) - which our baby hated. Baruch Hashem, both my wife and the baby are feeling better, but boy that was a hectic Shabbos!
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