The Lesson of the Burnt Pancakes

So, I finished my post on Friday about "being mindful", and Saturday morning, I found myself rushing around trying to get Caleb out the door for baseball tryouts and Logan ready for his morning swim class. And in the midst of getting breakfast ready for my boys, I was also trying to get the grocery list written so that Duane could go get what we needed to fill the pantry while he waited for Caleb to get finished with tryouts. Can you guess where this is going? Well, I got a big slap in the face when it came to not "being mindful" when I realized that while focusing on my grocery list, I had left the pancakes on the griddle too long. Who burns pancakes? Well, apparently me when I'm not listening to lessons that need to be learned.

I haven't burned any more food since Saturday, but I can't say I've been completely "mindful" at every given moment. This is a huge change for me, and although I hoped it would be something I could make happen quickly since I do see great benefits for myself and my family, that's another lesson to be learned. "Being mindful" also involves being patient. I can be patient, but I also tend to be persistent... those two do not necessarily work well in tandem. This process is a huge battle of wills for me...

But, in the moments I have been "mindful"... I've seen the benefits of doing so. Caleb and I took the dog for a walk the other day, and we had a really good conversation about school. Logan, Haden and I have enjoyed sitting and reading books and playing together. It's not that we haven't done these things before, but I've usually been folding laundry, making dinner or picking up toys while doing them. I thought I'd feel more stressed by the pressure of what I knew needed to get done wasn't getting done while I was taking the time to "be mindful." But, part of diving into this exercise was acknowledging that I wasn't in control of the situation and that I needed to "see where it went" which for me means accepting that what really needs to get done will get done and the rest... well... that remains to be seen.

So, I'm going to keep trying to "be mindful" and hopefully, no more burnt pancakes... although the dog may not be too happy with that!

God Bless!