The days are long but the years are short

I just finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and I will never forget her words, “the days are long but the years are short.”

I think most moms of young kids can relate to this sentiment, although we tend to forget it when our lives are swirling around us like a windstorm.

From the moment you open your eyes in the morning, you’re running.  Work.  School.  Extra-curricular activities.  What’s for dinner?  Who’s crying now?  Where’s the permission slip for the school trip? Is that shirt clean?  The guy on the phone wants to sell me what?

But in the midst of that madness the other day, I put on a video my in-laws gave me.  The opening scene showed my three kids playing in the garden and I thought to myself, “That video must be years old.  My children look like babies.” 

The video was taken 18 months ago.  Since then my daughter started to talk.  My oldest started to read.  And my middle son started to say things about life that really make me laugh.

What?  When did my babies become children?  Where did the time go?

It ticked by like it always does. 

My mom told me once that the day will come when I miss the grubby fingerprints on the windows.  The stampede of feet on the stairs.  The shrill screams of, “Are we there yet?”   (Well, maybe I won’t miss those screams.)

It’s hard to think that way when the kids are young and life is wild.  But if we can stop at least once a day and breathe it in, it will remind us to cherish what we have.

Because the days are long but the years are short. 

Failure is the only option

Michael Jordan got cut from his grade nine basketball team.  Barack Obama tried to get a ticket to the 2000 Democratic Convention and he couldn’t get in the door.  Dr. Seuss got 43 rejections for his first children’s story.   They were all failures.  Before they were successes.

Jordan went on to become one of the best basketball players of all time.  Obama was the keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic Convention and then was sworn in as President of the United States in 2008.  And Dr. Seuss ended up getting a few stories published.

So what does this mean for all of us?

We have to remember that failing at something could be the best thing that ever happened to us.  As long as it drives us to keep trying.  As long as we get up when we fall.  As long as we remember that failure is the one thing that always happens before success.

If we don’t get the job, the next job will be the one for us.  If we fail the test, we’ll learn things that we need to know when studying for it next time. 

The only way failure can hurt us, is if we let it stop us in our tracks.

So make that investment.  Write that book.  Run that marathon.  Change your career.  Take a chance.

Will you fail?  You might.  But if you do, at least you’ll know that you’re one step closer to success.  And if you never try, you’ll never know.

The stomach flu made me happy

They say if March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb.  I know one thing for sure... my family got a lion’s serving of sickness this March that made us as weak as lambs.

A stomach flu that lasted seven days.  Followed by colds and pink eyes.  As a mom, I was at my breaking point.  But when the dust settled, and I heard those little voices screaming, “I’m all better mom,” I realized that was all I needed to be happy.

Probably helps that I’m reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin for a book club at the moment.  But I realized that what I’m wearing, or what I’m eating, or where I’m going won’t ever make me as happy as having the people I love healthy. 

It also reminded me that when mom is sick, no one is well.  So the moms of the world have to take time to do things for ourselves.  Going for a walk, seeing a play, reading a book or flossing our teeth (come on moms... we can at least squeeze this luxury in).

And most important of all for moms is maintaining and growing our friendships.  This is better than any vitamin when it comes to staying healthy.  A dinner with friends who let you vent about life and allow you to feel normal in your craziness is like an antibacterial wash for your soul.

So make a reservation.  Take time for you.  Celebrate any given weeknight.  Laugh when you feel like crying.  And remember, when you have your health you have everything you need to be happy.  Which will leave you as strong as a lion and as lovable as a lamb.