Sunny Wind

I definitely had a melt down the other night. Pretty sure it all just crashed in when I realized that I would be working over 50 hours this week with 6 kids, all 3 and under. And none of them are my own kids. The three 3 year-olds are boys, and all of them are stubborn. Thankfully one of the little ones is a girl, nice to have pink and play gentle, and cuddle.

In the cab as I came home tonight I reflected on my week and the things that I am thankful for despite doing something I do not necessarily enjoy at all. One of these being that I have an opportunity to observe three families all at very similar life stages of raising children and I get to observe very closely how they live and deal with real issues. That is a true gift! I doubt my parents had such insight into raising children. Sometimes I think that I could begin writing a book about 'babysitting' or parenting, but then I realize, I'm missing out on the most important part, actually having my own children to raise! ha!

Anyhow, I'm so thankful for these three families, trusting me to watch their precious children. That is huge. I can't imagine how stressful and agonizing it is to walk away from those dear ones and trust that someone will just take care of them while one is out. Wow.

I'm thankful for incorporating Godly values and lessons into daily life and interactions with others. This is mostly what keeps me sane.

I am thankful for roommates who listen to me babble when I get home from work because I have not talked to anyone over the age of 3 for over 15 minutes in um... well, I don't know how long? The night before when I told my roommates goodnight?? yeah... this is probably one of the hardest things about doing what I do. I need face time with people and have conversations and process things verbally, and be understood, and well, that just doesn't happen with a 3 year old!

I am thankful for the weekends. I am thankful for the thrift store to go searching with my dear friend and find things that should cost a lot more than what we paid for. I love being treated to starbucks by said friend and chatting in the cool autumn breeze and simply relaxing! And then to be told as he leaves that he bragged to his friends he got to hang out with a college graduate... haha I think that made my day!

I'm thankful for an apartment and again, wonderful wonderful roommates who took me to Ikea for my first time today and then waited for me to get my hot dogs and then dropped me off at my next job. Then they so kindly took all my findings to my room for me. Oh they are a blessing in my life. I love to laugh with them and I am so encouraged by their lives.

Anyhow, all that to say I did not intend to give a recap of my day for this post, but I guess now it is what it is.

However, I did want to say, for me it is so easy to look at my 'bad' days as just rainy days, where the sun never comes out to shine. Well, tonight I am trying to re-think that and put my life into perspective a little more: I have not been given these opportunities with these 6 kids and 50+ hours of work for no reason, it isn't just rain. Rather, I'd like to think of it like a day where the wind blows, and gosh, it isn't fun, no, it is rather a pain, but even on those windy days the sun can and does still shine.