Potted Cabbage in Galvanized Buckets

I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.  All the normal Mom things plus this almost-an-author thing, throw in some changes at my husband’s work and a couple (that’s generous; about a hundred) unfinished projects, and I’m in full SHUT DOWN AND DO NOTHING mode.  Which usually brings me to Pinterest where I DUN DUN DUN see about a thousand things that I want to do. 

I am a thoroughly ridiculous creature.

I find myself in this place a lot: infinitely motivated but eternally lazy.  My wheels spin for a while.  I might even get a lot done.  Then I remember all the things I DIDN’T get done and all of a sudden it’s time once again to throw up my hands and melt into a facebook-induced coma.  I think facebook is a mom’s version of being a besotted drunkard.  Life is too much but you have children to watch?  Leave the bottle and open up that web browser!  All your problems will melt away!

So, this morning, I found myself about fifteen minutes in to a Pinterest Pity Binge.  I passed a bunch of mural inspirations that I pinned last night, three or four delicious looking recipes, a dozen tutorials for small home repair, umpteen homeschool-improving plans of sheer brilliance….ETCETERA, when my eye fell on this gem: Potted Cabbage in Galvanized Buckets.

Potted.

Cabbage.

Galvanized.

Buckets.

Cabbage in a bucket.

In a galvanized bucket.

I just started laughing my fool head off.

WHAT ARE WE EVEN DOING, LADIES? 

I have four gorgeous, funny, crazy, messy, busy children.  And I have a finite number of years to enjoy them.  An extremely measurable amount of time.  It’s math so simple even I can do it!  So, here’s what I’m gonna do.  I’m gonna take out my to-do list, get a great big PERMANENT MARKER, and cross off all the things that serve my ego- all the things that are there simply to make me feel like I’m doing a MEASURABLY good job, and I’m going to cross them off.  FOEVAH.  Because, as lovely as those purply cabbages looked in their highly specific metal containers, I DON’T EVEN CARE.  If I genuinely enjoyed all these polished, put together extra curriculars, that’d be different.  But I don’t!  And I’m not going to sacrifice my intensely brief time as a mother on the altar of being a “super mom”. 

Ladies, I aim to mediocrely behave.

Because my four gorgeous, funny, crazy, messy, busy children are not going to remember what my cabbages were planted in.  They’re not going to remember how beautifully decorated their cookies were (mostly because they already ate them).  They’re not going to care if I slaved over a three course Italian supper.  I need to leave my perfectionism where it belongs (approximately: hell), and put my energy into spending time with them while they’re here. 

So supper will be simple.

Cookies will be eaten warm, right off the pan.

Cabbages will be in dirt.

And I’ll be sane.

I think we’ll all be better for it.

Roll for initiative,
J. Wahl