Simplicity Amidst Chaos
Doesn’t that sound funny? But it’s how I feel like my life is right now. Chaotic. Yet simple.
We all have a lot on our plates, right? Juggling our various responsibilities, whether it is kids, pets, the house, family, friends, ourselves, there is a lot to take care of each and every day. And it’s not like taking care of it one day means you don’t have to the next day. The stuff just keeps coming at us.
The house was clean yesterday but needs to be cleaned again today.
Just because I played with the kids for hours yesterday afternoon doesn’t mean they’ll let me off the hook for it today.
My family needs me all the time.
My house needs attention regularly.
My kids need mommy to play with them, read to them, teach them and be present with them.
And my dogs occasionally like when I feed them and play with or walk them too.
It is constant, a never ending juggling act to be performed. It’s okay to drop a ball from time to time though and not beat myself up for it, and it is for you too.
The way I keep myself sane when I do drop a ball? By making it easy to pick back up and start juggling again.
I’m a mom, my kids are the most important part of my day, but they certainly aren’t the only part of my day unless I want to find a personal assistant to take care of my bills, phone calls and paperwork to be handled. While I am hiring people, I could use a housekeeper, a dog walker, and chauffeur, and heck, even maybe a personal shopper so I never have to set foot in a store again.
That wouldn’t be simple living to me though. I want to be present for all of my responsibilties and not blame one ball for the reason another one fell to the ground. I won’t blame my kids for keeping my house from being presentable and I won’t blame my house for my kids being neglected.
By finding a way to work it all in and make it all happen, I find myself feeling like life is simpler, even if there are items on my list that aren’t complete. I know it’s okay not to have a blank list at the end of the day. It may seem chaotic and impossible to live simply amidst so much that needs to be done.
For me, managing those things well and seeing them get done gradually and not expecting perfection is the essence of simplicity. Take care of the big things so the little stuff happens by itself. Take care of the house in baby steps so when it’s time to play outside, I can play and be present with my kids and not thinking about the next thing that needs to be done. Let something slide occasionally but don’t blame the other stuff. It’s not their fault. Life is about managing balance and priorities so that when the little moments come along, they can turn into the big moments we live for.
August 29th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Simplicity among chaos. Three words to best describe my life right now. I feel like I’m living in the eye of a tornado. Thanks for always framing things with such elegant thought, Emily. Have a great weekend.
Writer Dads last blog post..A Breath of Fresh Air
August 29th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
my chaos is about to begin next week. My goal is to remain simple and sane through out it. I’m going to focus on one day at a time, forgetting yesterday and not thinking to much about tomorrow.
Denises last blog post..Money often cost too much
August 29th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Well, life was going very simply about 3 weeks ago, but now I too am living in the eye of the storm. Things going on around seem crazy, but I have my own little niche carved out in my schedule, which makes life much more enjoyable.
Sals last blog post..Meet the Teacher
August 29th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
You summed that up very well. It took me a LONG time to realize that trying to be perfect often makes one miserable. It’s important to enjoy life, even if there are dirty dishes in the sink. Thanks for the great post!
Christines last blog post..Old Clothes, New Purpose
August 29th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
@ WriterDad, thank you and sorry you’re in the eye of the storm. I know that feeling. I hope it passes quickly.
@Denise, good luck with the start of the chaos next week. I think it’s overwhelming at first but then gets easier. I hope
@Sal, that’s really great and so important to make sure we still have time for us to enjoy life even when things are crazy.
@Christine, thank you! It’s not an easy balance to strike, but I am certain there is one for each of us, we just have to be aware enough to find it. For me, it’s about dropping the excuses and making sure that on a whole, I am completing all the things I need to be, even if on the daily level, there are things left undone.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I feel the same way, can’t we just tack another 4 or 5 hours in the day? I find the 8-5 happens to pay the bills, get home by 6, feed and bathe the kids, and it is time for them to hit the bed; at which point another 1 hour later they go to bed. Then the wife and I decide if it is a movie night or just time to get a quick start on the following day by getting up before the kids at 6. Then it starts over again… It’s a task for sure, but well worth it I think.
hanks last blog post..Would You Rather Have a Higher Pay “Ceiling” Or Just a Higher Pay? Easy, Right? Well…
August 29th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I feel like, whenever I find that everything is in balance; the house is clean, my husbands company is working well, and my stepsons also are getting the attention they need, something always goes REALLY wrong to throw it all into chaos again.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
This is why I hate playing The Sims. It’s like you feed them once and it’s just not good enough. Every day the cycle begins again. If I wanted to spend that much time on the toilet, I would prefer to do it in real life instead of virtually.
I’ve been feeling this a lot too, lately. That the cycle never ends. I need to adopt some of your attitude and enjoy the gorgeous moments that occur in the middle of everything–they’re not a distraction, they’re the good stuff.
Sara at On Simplicitys last blog post..Three Things You’d Save in an Emergency
August 30th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Simplicity amidst chaos. This is one of the reasons why I love reading blogs. Everyday some can come up with something brilliant to say to describe what you are feeling.
chriss last blog post..The Perfect Storm, Part 4
August 30th, 2008 at 7:05 am
@Hank, I think it’s worth it too, considering most of the alternatives
@June, you are so right. I spend a lot of the really mellow time wondering what’s going to pop up and bring it all to a screeching halt.
@Sara, I am not familiar with The Sims (should I be admitting that?) but I get the idea. I hope you adventures in putting simplicity to the test are going as well as one could hope!
@Chris, brilliant?! hee hee, thank you!
August 30th, 2008 at 10:45 am
how nice. and the thing you hinted at - that simplicity requires imperfection - is important too. i need a daily reminder of that.
deepalis last blog post..august goals check-in: week 4
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I’m trying so hard to strike a balance between my responsiblities and having some breathing room for me.
Perhaps the thing I struggle with the most is that the cluttered, messy house causes me so much anxiety that I can’t be present for my family or even for my personal time. The crazy thing is that my house remains cluttered and messy a lot of the time! sigh.
Ann at One Bag Nations last blog post..One Bag Nation Turns 100
September 7th, 2008 at 2:33 am
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