Well, today starts a little of the "how" - how we are going about living our daily lives in a way that truly reflects our priorities. And the biggest truth for us is that it takes baby steps.
One such baby step was initiated by my boys this last Thursday. We'd had our typical busy days at school, and it was raining outside. What I wanted to do was curl up with my blanket and the computer and zone out for a little while. The boys, however had other plans.
They wanted to DO ART. Yes, capital letters kind of ART DOING. And instead of my usual, "We don't have time before dinner/it makes too much mess/I don't want to get things out or clean them up tonight," I simply said, "Yes." (And closed my eyes, hoping for avoidance of total disaster!)
They gathered supplies, filled the table, and went to town! They new brayer was a big hit, and The little one did surprisingly well with handling the paint all on his own. The big one painted for a while, then began trying to craft a paper hat with scotch tape and paper. For 45 minutes, they crafted happily in peace. I got to watch them work together without having to referee, and was able to put the work day behind me. The idea of messy art being so relaxing was such a foreign concept, but a welcome way to appreciate the moment.
And yes, there was one blue paint footprint on the cream carpet, but that was easily remedied by a five year old with a carpet cleaner. Dinner was still on time, the supplies got cleaned up, and the rest of the evening routine continued as normal. But that short period of time was exactly what the boys and I needed to connect at the end of the day. It brought us together, and reminded us that our life can take place within these walls.
Even during the week.
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