I’m learning a lot of life lessons from all the snow we’re having on the East coast this winter. The kids have already had about 5 snow days and it’s only January. I’m starting to just give in to it and let myself get caught up in the kids excitment about whether or not school will be delayed, or better yet (for them) closed. The house simmers with anticipation as they both spend inordinate amounts of time online looking at weather patterns, texting & facebooking their friends while debating the potential amounts of snow, the likelihood of a day off, their level of certainty about the fact that they’ll get a snow day….for sure.
In addition to surrendering to the whole snow thing, I’m learning how to trust that the universe will rise up to support me. I tend to worry a lot (understatement of the year) and Tuesday, as soon as the weather gurus started predicting Wednesday’s wintery mess, I started obsessing about how to get the kids picked up and transported home in the event of a school closing, since I’d be 45 minutes away and not in any position to come back and get them. I spent quite a bit of useless time worrying about the snow, what to do, how to handle, what if school closed, what if it didn’t, who could I call to pick them up, etc. I finally got myself so exhausted with all that worrying, that I just went to bed, and figured I’d work it out in the morning.
And then…..Tuesday night at about 11:00, after about a half hour of bleary, blissful, Ambien induced sleep, I woke up to see my 13 year old son standing next to our bed telling me that there was a beeping sound coming from somewhere in the nether regions of the house. So Mike and I got up and roamed around the house trying to search out which of the many fire alarms had run out of batteries, thus setting off the annoying beeping which woke up my son. Turns out it’s the one in the basement and man, was it LOUD. As Mike went to change the batteries, I meandered my sleepy way back upstairs and crawled back into our comfy bed, only to have Mike come up a few minutes later and announce that as he was changing the battery, he noticed that the hot water heater was broken and leaking water (lots of water) all over the basement floor. Darn.
Lots of sleepy discussion ensued as we tried to figure out what to do. Eventually we both decided to go back to bed, and call a plumber in the morning. And Mike agreed that he would stay home the next day to handle getting it fixed.
And there you are. The universe rose up to support me. ‘Cause now I could go to my all-day, 45 minute away, client meeting and Mike was home already when the kids schools DID, in fact, close early. As I drove to the meeting, I thought, “Why can’t I just let the universe unfold? Why do I have to worry so much?” Because it always does.
Yup, learning a lot of good life lessons from this snow. Plus, you have to admit, it’s really pretty.
And P.S. Yes, they did get today off. Woo hoo.
Claudia, I too,have learned to wait and watch.Realizing that nothing will be solved by worry, I w and w and than as the ‘”universe unfolds” a solution is usually there. You may not have to do a thing (as in your case) or you may just have to jump on the opportunity that came along, that solved it all for you. Either way, the old adage ‘It is what it is’ calms me down, and releases me to not have to solve the unsolvable, but grab the solution as it appears. xoxo
Very well put. I need to start doing the same. I spent Mon/Tues worrying about how Caelie was going to get home from school since I was going to be in Seattle, Scott was teaching, and her after-school play practice (which we were counting on) got canceled. Multiple calls and scenarios ensued. Final outcome – my flight got canceled to Seattle and it was a snow day for all!
I too need to let the universe unfold.
Claudia, GOOD!! That hot water heater reminds me that when I was in the shower the other day, I thought ours wasn’t heating as much as usual and I meant to ask Joe about it…hmmmmmm…tonight!
Enjoy the snow. Did you have to drive around in it, though?! Yikes. It is pretty, but that’s a lot of snow!
Jodi – It’s so nice to hear from you. Also, so nice to know I’m not the only one obsessing about how to handle snow. Glad you’re enjoying and glad your flight got cancelled. Claudia
IT IS SOOOOOO PRETTY. What do they say? Beauty is in the eye…xo.
Paula – they look like muffin tops on the bushes! I have some more of the bird houses in the backyard, which I’ll get up here next. 🙂