Thursday, October 21, 2010

Sometimes I Like to Curl Up In A Ball

The girls have a book called “Sometimes I Like to Curl Up In A Ball.”  It is about a cute, little wombat at bedtime.

But that is how I have been feeling.  Apparently my response to feeling behind and watching my to-do list grow longer is to want to curl up in the fetal position on the couch but I am not a cute, baby wombat. 

Go away mountains of laundry.

Go away stacks of dishes.

Go away broken dishwasher.

Go away stack of bills.

Oh, but wait, I remind myself as I wade through a dirty kitchen, billions of women have washed dishes by hand their whole lives.  In fact, millions don’t even know what a dishwasher is.

I start trying to focus on others.  It’s not about me. Another thought.  They estimate there are nearly 27 million slaves worldwide.  More than there have ever been.  According to best guesses, at least half of them are children.  13.5 million child slaves. 

I start to sing “Count Your Many Blessings” as I fill up the sink.  I have to sing loud because there are two crying babies at the safety gate. I look over and smile.  More blessings, currently loud and whiny ones.

Many times kids that become child slaves are the vulnerable children, with no one to advocate for them.  Other times, parents put their children in slavery because they think it is better than the child starving with them.

And I almost throw in the towel over a messy house. 

Three of my favorite blessings:

10-21 114

10-21 122

10-21 144

10-21 152

7 comments:

Raquel said...

thanks for the reminder amy.
it's not about us.
:-]
keep shining!
OH, and if i can get on the ball, you should be getting something in the mail from down south within the next month!

LauraZ said...

Thanks for this reminder! BTW, if you ever need help with dishes or laundry. Call me! I would love to come help and get to know you better!

emilykate said...

Good perspective reminder, thanks!

Vanessa said...

I'll def. be thinking about this the next time I feel like shutting down when my laundry is in a wrinkly heap and my dirty dishes are overflowing from the sink all the way to the stove. Great reminder!

Wee said...

Great post, Amy! Thanks for the reminder!

Mouseymom said...

yes, great post--touched my heart! We sometimes curse our blessings( dishwasher, car, house, too much laundry) Keeping perspective is SO hard.. yet so necessary... thank you for this reality today!

Mandy said...

Thank you so much! I so needed that!