My toddler threw up this morning.
Not ideal. Not a great start to the day. In fact, it kind of makes me dread today, tonight, and the days to come. Stomach bugs are not my cup of tea.
But, before I spiral, before I text my husband all the barf emojis, I’m giving myself a pep talk. One I’ve been reciting often lately. One that is becoming my personal golden rule.
'Today, I get to …'
Fill in the blank with whatever is on your agenda today. Not “today I have to" which is what we normally want to say, but “today I get to.” When “have” changes to “get”, we slough off despair and pick up gratitude. And gratefulness makes everything about the day — no matter how unexpected — a little bit better.
Today, I get to bathe my little one with warm water and wrap him in a clean towel. I get to snuggle him when he isn’t feeling well. I get to be home when he is sick, rather than worrying about childcare or clocking hours somewhere.
Today, I get to wash disgusting puke laundry in my very own washing machine. It will be done in less than an hour and moving onto my very own dryer. For most of the world, that is a true luxury. Honestly, we should never, ever complain about laundry.
Today, I get to prepare meals for my other children and dose them up with elderberry and vitamins to hopefully keep their tummies in the clear. I get to announce, “It’s a book and movie day!” while we all rest, recover, and take care of our littlest.
Today, I get to …
Mamas, wake up with me
This life we’re living, even the unplanned and gross parts of it, is not that bad!
Yes, we have to do a lot of things. A lot of things that aren’t glamorous or fun or even worth mentioning. But our mindset and our heart’s voice can turn those humdrum moments into opportunities of acknowledging how good we actually have it.
There is no reason to lament a midnight feeding because there is nothing wrong with your baby waking in need of you. In fact, it’s a joy that they need you and it’s a blessing you can feed them. Hold them. Rock them. Be OK with the slow season of life while they find their rhythm, while you find yours.
And the weather? Have we really come to a place where a rainy day can ruin our mood? Yes, the weather affects us, and it can sometimes even change our plans. But try this on for size: “Today, I get to drive my car to the grocery store rather than walk in the rain” or “Today, I get to bundle up my kids in raincoats and boots for some mud-puddle splashing and then return indoors for a cup of warm cocoa.”
Perspective can really change things
It can really heal us, grow us.
I’m not perfect in remembering to change my verbiage or always find the good. But it is a choice — my choice to view mom life through a happier lens. My perspective is something I can control, in a world where I never know who might throw up or disrupt my sleep. And, in these times of a hundred unknowns, I’m choosing to say, “Today, I get to" — and truly mean it.
