My one little word for 2017 is YES. I don't mean that I am going to say yes to everyone. In fact, in most areas of my life, I am at a point where I need to just say no to everything. However, there are three little people, that I would like to say yes to much more often than I currently do - and in a very specific way. When I am at work and students say my name, and I always respond with "what's up?" or something of the like. When other adults require my attention I am always very approachable. My kids, however, are not so lucky. I've arrived at this point as a mother where I hear my name about eighteen thousand times a day...and the majority of time when I hear their darling little voices calling, I'm not polite or positive in my response - it's almost always an exasperated "WHAT?"
I've been thinking a lot lately that it's not fair that my kids see this worst side of me - the side where I'm frustrated and annoyed and would like to have 27 seconds to myself for the love of God. They don't mean to be annoying..it's just a fact of life! ;) I know I will never be that perfectly calm mother who never yells or gets upset or annoyed (or who never shows it). I am an emotional person which is good and bad and my kids have always had the benefit and misfortune of seeing both ends of the spectrum. It occurs to me, though, that my overwhelmingly negative response to their inquiries probably sound pretty harsh to them, and the reality is that there is no one else who is more important to me...so why do I act so negative when they need and want me?
This year, rather thing coming up with some big broad goal of how I'd like to live my life in the next 365 days, I instead just want to work on one, specific thing. Saying yes to my kids - knowing that their voices deserve to be heard and that they {usually} have something valuable to ask or say - even if they've already called "MOM!!!" a ridiculous number of times!
