when plans go wrong
We drove to Pasadena this morning to see the flower floats from the Rose Bowl parade. When we got there we saw the lines were so long and we were short on time. My mom was with us and she had a flight to catch. As the clock kept clicking down & the line stopped moving we knew our chances of seeing the floats were slim.
Turns out we drove an hour all the way there to stand in line for an hour and a half only to just turn around and drive an hour back.
It was so disappointing…but I have to say this: it was such a perfect opportunity for us all to learn to respond well to things not going as planned.
As a mom things like this happen all.of.the.time.
Plans shift, things fall through, the system I tried so hard to put in place doesn’t work anymore…and it can be maddening. Sometimes it just makes me want to……..punch a wall…..kick and scream and throw a fit….lay on the ground and yell “I QUIT!!”…..
But learning to respond well, redirect plans and use my emotions as a blessing is something I’ve had to learn again and again.
I now see that simply ‘not losing my mind’ during times like that isn’t where it should end. I have to lead my little people through it too so they can learn at their young ages to begin to deal with life and uncertainty too.
We got out of the line and walked alllll the way back to the car and before I loaded them into their seats I gathered everyone together to explain to them what happened. I apologized to each one and thanked them for their patience and told them that our plan blew up like a big bomb!
I said what we are going to do is choose joy and make the most. I hugged each one and said we’d find another way to enjoy the rest of our afternoon.
They laughed and said, “ya mom! That didn’t work at ALL!” & jumped into their seats. And no, in case you’re wondering…it doesn’t happen that smoothly every time…but I’ll be thankful it did today.
Moms, I want to encourage you….I’m sure you’ve got plans, ideas and suggestions for a fresh new start rolling all around in your mind for this new year. And those are great! I can’t encourage you enough to set goals!
But keep in mind life isn’t just about a great plan coming together, the golden idea that’s “just right” or pursuing perfection. Life is also, I might even say mostly, about how we handle the imperfection and how we respond when our plans aren’t happening exactly like we’d hoped and how we treat people when things get undone.
Don’t forget the importance of choosing joy in the messes, building character when things get off track and giving grace (first to yourself) when it’s not done perfectly.
Happy New Year! ✨
[Content originally seen on megmariewallace Instagram on January 1st, 2018]
