A quote came across my twitter feed that made me stop and think.
"Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking."- Marianne Williamson
I get it. There's nothing admirable about rejecting your gifts. However, I feel there's something to be said for the lost art of just being.
Pinterest shows me a gazillion ways to carve a pumpkin, make a monster wreath for my door and decorate the cutest Halloween cookies. I've clipped dozens of pages of homes that will never look like my house. Is this good? Is this inspiration or a daily reminder of what I'm not living up to?
Facebook updates are carefully crafted. Instagram photos are edited. The constant marketing of day to day life doesn't show the weariness. It doesn't show the 5:30pm nights where no one knows what's for dinner, or the homework that didn't get done, or the mean words that sometimes escape despite the best of intentions. It doesn't show the dirt of life. Is this good?
There's something to be said for shrinking. Not the minimizing of your talent, or making someone feel less than, but the shrinking of your life. Focusing in on what's important. Letting go of the Pinterest perfection and spending time on little things. Preferably, unshowered and in your pajamas.
Last night was not a good one. One of the kids had a nightmare, and was up in the middle of the night. It wasn't bad enough to miss school, but it was enough of a disruption to start the day off in a tired, grumpy way.
I called a truce. I sent one kid back to bed. Divided and conquered. One kid made it to their school on time. One did not. The tardy kid joined their mom at Starbucks, for a round of hot chocolates.
Sometimes, shrinking tastes better with whipped cream.
