It seems these days are full of ups and downs. There are moments when I look at what I have--namely my husband and children--and my heart just feels full, to the point it's ready to burst with emotion. Then there are the moments when all the bad stuff weighs so heavy on my shoulders that I'm sure I'm going to collapse from it all.
I suppose that's what life is about. I just have to take the good with the bad. As do we all.
Yesterday we went to Sears to pick up some parts for our lawnmower, tiller and weed eater. No, they didn't all break at once (knock on wood!), they were just maintenance parts that we'd put off for quite a while and we couldn't wait any longer if we wanted to have them working for us in a few years from now.
While we were there, a gentleman came in to pick up his lawnmower, and for whatever reason, it wasn't there, the work wasn't done on it and he was beyond frustrated. He'd come all the way down there, and waited in a very long line, only to find out he'd done it for nothing.
The clerk who was helping us was called upon several times for this customer, who wanted his mower right then and wanted it fixed (understandable). It wasn't the clerk's fault that it wasn't fixed, he just happened to be the one at the store who knew the most about this customer's situation. Because of this familiarity, he got cornered on his way to the backroom to get our parts. The confrontation escalated and their shouting match could be heard throughout the tiny parts store.
I didn't know who to feel worse for, the clerk or the customer. Both were just trying to get their jobs done. Neither were having things go their way. Both ended up feeling upset by the way things were turning out.
I left feeling down for two reasons: one being because the parts we left with cost twice what we were expecting (of course), and the other because of the heavy atmosphere I'd just left. It was obvious to me that both men had a right to feel upset and yet neither was at fault for their situations. How do you fix something like that? How do you make someone feel better?
I know some of you are wondering why I let someone else's troubles get to me at all. Good point. I wonder that myself. If I figure it out, I'll let you know. Haha.
I suppose this economy has a lot of us on edge. So many people are feeling the pinch and that means there's more of us out there needing to vent before we explode. It's stressful to worry about finances, while at the same time your everyday life continues with family dramas, friend troubles, sick kids and everything else. We're still expected to function during this and get our duties done. It's too bad we can't just push pause on all those other things and just tackle each problem/task individually, right?
My mom has been in the hospital for the last week. She's going through a very difficult time in her life right now. I can't really say, "Sorry, Mom, can't deal with this just now. I've got lots of other stuff stressing me out, so can you put this off for later?" Hah! Yeah, that'd go over well. I'd disown myself!
Life can be hard. You've heard it before, you've experienced it and know it to be true. And yes, we all need to vent so we don't walk around like a shaken soda, waiting to explode on some poor, unsuspecting person who pulls the tab at the wrong time.
Find a way to decompress. I've found that writing helps me. Praying does, too. Find what works for you and go with it. Life's hard, but you can do it;-)
Being a stay-at-home Mom often means you have to know how to do it all for your family and get it done yesterday. Add being a writer to the mix and you've got some extra full hands! I've learned a few tricks either through personal experience or through my love of researching. Looking for ways to help your family in hard times? I'm here to help. Follow me on my journey through this economy. I'll let you see my mistakes as well as my triumphs and share useful information along the way.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
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Nellie,
ReplyDeleteI can so relate! You are a great writer. I enjoy reading your posts!
Suzanne Wood