Important life lessons I missed while skipping school

I had one of those rare moments today, the house is peaceful and I could hear myself think. Cole is at preschool today and Katie and Sean took a nap at the same time! So I went and took a relaxing shower and shaved my legs. This is what I was came up with.

In high school, I started hanging around with the wrong crowd immediately. We thought it was great to skip school, but now I realize the days I missed where the days they taught the important Life Lessons. I think they may have waited for the days I was out, but I can't prove it. I realized I had been living my life as if it were a sprint to the finish, but it's really an endurance race! Now I know most of you were probably good students and didn't skip school, so you're saying, "Well of course! You're just now getting it?" Maybe the point is not when I got it, but the fact that I got it at all.

Suddenly my life became clearer. As a working Mom, I was almost forced to live life as a sprint. How much can I get done right now, because I don't know when I'll have a few minutes again to get it done again. I'd race about trying to get it all accomplished, family time, clean house, grocery shopping, errands, always keeping my eye on the prize - when will I be finished so I can relax?

Now, as a stay at home Mom, I realize it's never done. If I keep trying to live my life as a sprint, which I have been doing, I burn myself out. I create negative energy around me because I feel I'm not living up to what I think I should be - the perfect mom, the perfect housekeeper, the perfect wife. I realize that is what I have my whole life for, I am a work in progress. What happens if I do finish the race? I've got all the cleaning, laundry, and shopping done, now what? I still have to start all over again. Who wants to keep going back to the beginning of the race? That's no fun! I like the endurance idea, then at least I am always making progress! I love to go backpacking. I don't carry that heavy pack around just so I can finish, I do it because I love the whole experience - the fresh air, exercise, getting back to nature, spending real quality time with family and friends.

I've heard lots of expressions about life before but for some reason they just didn't click like the way they should have. I know you know them too: Live for today, not tomorrow because there is no guarantee you'll have tomorrow. Life is a journey, not a destination, enjoy the ride! For some reason it finally clicked while I was shaving, wait, that clicking may have been my hip. I am getting old you know!

I actually had more lessons, but Katie had a blow-out up her backside and I had to stop and give her a bath. I think I threw out the rest of the lessons with the bathwater. Well, I'm interested to find out what I learn the next time I shave my legs! Haye! Wait a minute, maybe that's why Alex is always telling me I need to shave! See there, he didn't skip school very often and see how smart he is? He has been trying to point me in the right direction all along. Boy I married a kind man!