Moments Worth Celebrating
When I was young, my father often listened to the piano music of George Winston in the evenings. His songs were my lullabies, and even today they have a powerful calming effect over me. Each song has its own personality and set of emotions. Before I was old enough to recognize what I was listening to, I fell in love with them.
As an adult I am a great lover of music of many genres, but single-instrument music can disspel my stress and slow my heart rate better than any other. I like to hear every nuance and emotion of an instrument, and I cannot do that when other sounds distract me–even other instrumental sounds. After a while it all begins to mush (not mesh) together. Too much of it can unsettle me. Thank God for Winston lullabies. How many nights would I have wrestled with sleep if the soundtracks for Dad’s unwind time had been the (beautiful) symphonies of Bach?
This need for single focus crosses into other aspects of my life. I am terrible at multitasking. Whoever said women are better than men at multitasking did not include my husband and I in their generalizations. The more he has going, the better Shawn works–and the happier he is. Me…not so much. Yesterday a long distance friend called just as I had pulled everything out to make bread. Over the course of an hour-and-a-half conversation, I managed only to mix the dry ingredients. And I even messed that part up. I do my best work slowly and in relative silence.
You can imagine, then, that being a mother of four young children can be challenging for me. It’s true. I have had some low moments. I have had some low seasons. This is why I long so desperately to see the beauty in the midst of distraction! I believe this is my most difficult yet important work of this time of children young and four. If I can do it, anyone can. And so I must rejoice in my victorious moments, no matter how small or brief.
Yesterday, after long conversation and dry ingredients mixed, three sets of semi-clean hands helped me measure and pour and mix. If you have ever attempted baking with children, you do not need to work hard to picture the scene: Flour coating counter, stools, floor, clothes. Molasses trails squiggling from bottle to bowl. Cooking utensils doubling as cars and trucks, crashing into one another and making messy scene messier. It was a recipe for pounding heart and tense muscles. Yesterday, however, instead of tension I got joy. Somehow I stood in the chaos, took it all in, and smiled. I think I even laughed. At that moment my life was full of sticky hands and floured noses and so… much… joy.
Moment of victory.
I was able to see and hear amidst the chaos of sights and symphony of sounds! For some that may come naturally; but if you are like me, you understand that moments like this are worthy of celebration.
And I love any reason to celebrate!
Have you had any victory moments lately? Well then stop focusing on the other ones, and celebrate! God knows it will at least lighten us up a bit.
carryingwonder 