This post is about moods. We all have them. Growing up in a family teaches us from a very young age about how little control we have over other people's moods. As an adult, I am slowly learning that I am not powerless over my moods. Feelings are just feelings...and, I do tons of things everyday that I do not feel like doing and that I'm not in the mood for :). After all, the diapers need changing and the kids have to eat (lest their moods deteriorate!)!
I'm not saying that I do not give into my feelings at times. I still get cranky at certain times of the day (think before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m., especially!) or during certain times of the month (when I have decidedly less control over what comes out of my mouth!). I will always wish for more patience...so that my mood won't change so abruptly when the kids are not obeying exactly in the time/way that I want them to!
But, I daresay that I am not the moodiest person in the house (at least this week!).
Cecilia is currently taking the prize for this. Of course, she has moments when I look at her and think she is the prettiest, most charming, smartest, loveliest 3-1/2-year-old in the entire world (I'm a little biased!). My heart is filled with such love for God's gift who arrived in July of 2009.
And then, there are other moments. Lots of them. Yesterday morning stands out.
Joseph had an early soccer game at 9:30 a.m. I had to miss his first one of the season last week because I took Gianna to a birthday party. I did not want to miss his second one.
So, I bundled everyone up (it was a chilly morning) and drove over to the field (my husband is helping the coach, so he and Joseph were already there). Getting everyone ready was ridiculous. I thought a hundred times that it would be so much easier to just stay home and turn on cartoons for a bit...because, just maybe, Cecilia would snap out of her mood!
Everything was wrong from the second she woke up...screaming (and waking up the whole house in the process) that she had to go to the bathroom (although she has been potty-trained for a year, and she can most certainly get up and take care of this by herself!).
Breakfast was just plain awful (even though it was what she asked for), and her outfit was wrong (even though she picked it out). She was extremely angry that I wouldn't let her wear her flip-flops and that she had to wear her jacket (she had a taste of summer only days before!). There were lots of tears and even more loud drama. And, her mood was rubbing off on everyone else...especially me!
I'm so glad that I persevered! Because, as has happened a thousand times before, life was simply grand once we left the house!
It turned out to be a gorgeous morning. It was chilly, but the sun was quickly warming us up. Instead of watching the game, Gianna, Cecilia, and Justin started running around and playing with some other kids. This was perfect as it left Lucy and I to watch the game in peace.
As I was driving to the game, I was thinking about what Cecilia can be like at age 3. And, it scares me to death to think what she might be like as a teenager!!! I didn't have any flashes of inspiration or heavenly wisdom, but I did reflect on my job as her mother. And, I realized that I can only carefully guard my own moods (this is most definitely a work in progress!), help her to recognize the triggers of her moods (obviously, she's a little young for this...but, maybe she learn to tell me that she's hungry immediately rather than waiting until she's a bear...or rest if she's tired), and PRAY.
I need to pray to keep the big picture always in my heart and head (words said in a flash of anger will live on forever). Moods come and go. A change of scenery can do wonders to change our moods...as can exercise.
The soccer game was just the thing to "snap" Cecilia out of it. She was transformed back into my fun-loving little girl for the rest of the day! By the end of the game, 4 of my 5 children were pretty happy. Joseph was tired, hungry, and sore after an end-of-game injury, so he was in a very bad mood. And, so goes the circle of life :).
This piece is just a reflection on how to raise a family full of moody children :). It can be so overwhelming to have five moods (plus my own and my husband's)...happy, sad, and everything in between...coming at me all day. Learning to patiently and lovingly deal with it all is too much for me...so, I must PRAY and trust that God's grace will carry me (and it does). And write...I have so much on my mind and heart, and it feels good to put in into words. Thanks for reading!!!
I'm in a pretty good mood right now...I better hide :o).
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