Go Easy on Yourself

I don't know about you, but I'm particularly hard on myself with my expectations.  I think my house should be immaculate, my animals perfectly behaved, my life always to have an appearance of normalcy (HA!) and my food to always look as fabulous as it tastes.
But reality is a whole other world, isn't it?  Sometimes there are dishes in my sink & the bed's not made. Sometimes my dogs bark. Lord knows they shed like crazy. 

Sometimes I don't get along with the people closest to me. And sometimes my food is lacking the pizzazz and creativity I so long for.

The latter seems to bring me a special sort of gravity.  I suppose because my love language is very much based on acts of service, my ability to feed my family something beautiful, healthful and delicious is especially important.


I was pondering this last night as I was making pancakes for dinner - brinner, as my boys call it. I don't know about you, but the night before the new budget kicks in (aka, payday) my groceries start to run pretty sparse. We're trying to live on the Dave Ramsey school of thought where everything is done on a cash basis and when the cash is gone, we wait.


Personally, pancakes are not my thing. But I'm the only one in the house that feels that way. I don't do anything fancy with them.  I'm a cheater and only use Bisquick to make them. I generally make a fruit compote to go on top, but last night that only consisted of canned pears steeped in butter & maple syrup. (We were out of all things fresh.)  Still, I made smiley face pancakes.


First I was irritated that they weren't coming out perfect and almost had more of a "scary clown" face than a smiley face.  Then I remembered back to my childhood, when I first learned to make them.  I remember standing by the stove with my mom, making them for my dad.  I don't remember them not being perfect. She probably doesn't either.  I remember it as a fun way to eat pancakes & spend time with my mom.  So I lightened up, smiled back at my clown face pancakes and remembered that's what it's all about.


So take it easy on yourself. Life is messy. Things won't always measure up to your expectations & you have to be good with that. It's how you find joy in the little things.  Sometimes the greatest joy comes from the littlest things.


Enjoy your day!