Weathering Storms

The house is dead quiet. The kids are still sleeping. They are no doubt stuck in catch up mode after a frenetic few days...a go go go week and a half. Many late nights and long days filled with a flurry of activity. I'm absolutely awed by their staying power, and like most mothers I dream of bottling up their energy and selling the expensive elixir.

Monday morning confronted everyone at Casa Wags with her abrupt assault. The early morning electricity in the air stirred me before I wanted to be at the ready, and yet I love to listen to the rumble and roar of fronts clashing from the comfort of my bed. Or Lil Bit's bed as it was this dawn for last night I got the boot from my Bit. We slept walked our way through our morning routines, which are still not entrenched after a month of vacation and we even managed to leave the house a little early. As I drove towards the lake, I took notice of the ominous sky behind us, the eerie darkness flanking us. The swollen, bruised clouds were moving so fast I sensed they would swallow the brightness before long. The heavy air clung to me like a wool sweater in July so I was relieved to get into my air conditioned car. And then it started to rain. I no sooner shut the door when the sky opened up and unleashed its fury. I passed men in suits dashing in doorways with their steaming coffees and queried at bikers and walkers caught in the eye of the storm without hope of refuge. At one point, the rain was so furious I couldn't see the road before me and I thought about pulling over to wait it out. Then I realized that I was driving too fast. I was trying to go with the flow so as not to irritate the drivers around me. That is exactly when I had an a-ha moment. If I slow down maybe they will too, or else they can go around me. Translated to say...I don't need to please these anonymous commuters. Do you know that they slowed down probably relieved that they didn't have to keep up any longer?

I say a-ha because as soon as I decided to hit the brakes, it occurred to me that my frustrations with family this weekend were also rooted in trying to please everyone. I was worried about making and keeping everyone happy, which resulted in no one being happy least of all myself. Egos, intentions, agendas and tendencies (passive, passive aggressive and aggressive) collided and communication simply silenced. We were at an uncomfortable stalemate so I spoke up and things softened even if just a little.

Today the sun is shining and there's little chance for rain. The tension has been released and the clouds have moved on. The air is cleared and family have traveled home. Tomorrow I may not think about these disturbances at all, and some day I may even laugh about the weekend whirlwind. The rest of this week's forecast is favorable.