Just laugh

Sometimes life as a mom gets hetic! It's busy right now with the end-of-the-school-year stuff and the anticipation of summer vacation. At such times, it's good to just stop, take a breath, then LAUGH!

Here are a few quotes about parenting that make me laugh:

When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they're finished, I climb out. ~ Erma Bombeck

That's just like staying in the bathroom for much more time than you need to just so you can have a minute or two to yourself!

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing. ~ Phyllis Diller

Where does all the stuff come from, and when you put it away, why does it show up again later?

The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. ~ Lane Olinghouse

This happens more often than not - "MOM, can you . . . ?"

In the book, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms" author Kristine Carlson devotes a chapter to this very topic. She writes:

On those days when everything seems to be going wrong - or does go wrong - you just have to step back and laugh. Laughter is a great healer. It lets out pressure and stress, and restores perspective.

I just finished reading Carlson's book, and I wrote a review about it on my other blog - 2friends3things1blog. If you would like to WIN, yes WIN, a brand-new copy of the book (I'm keeping mine), you can post a comment here, on the 3 Things blog, or follow LeMOMade on Facebook - see the link in the right sidebar. A winner will be chosen at random on Memorial Day!

Lots of Lemons

Do you look at the sunny side of life?
Do you see the world through through rose-colored glasses?
Are you a mom, like a mom, or even a Mr. Mom? Grandma, aunt, sister, or friend?

If you answered yes to those questions then you’re in the right place. If you answered no, you’re in the right place too. Welcome to LeMOMade ~ a place to gather for a pitcher full of inspiration, motivation, hope, faith, and fun. Come sit and sip awhile. I'm so happy you're here. Take a moment to read about the life lessons I'm learning on my journey with chronic illness . . .

It's hard to take the bad things that happen to us and make them good - to keep your chin up, to stay positive, and to roll with the punches. How do we cope during challenging times? How do we make lemonade out of lemons? I’m not sure I know the answer to those questions. It depends on many factors: the circumstances, the course of events, the actions and reactions of yourself and others, how bad is the bad, and so on.

For me, the diagnosis of a rare, chronic, life-threatening disease without a cure was indeed a very bad thing to happen to me and family eight years ago when I was a young mother of two energetic toddlers. (See My Story for more details) This challenge continues to be a not-so-good thing to this day. How can I look at this very bad thing, and find the good in it? It’s not easy, in fact, it's very, very hard. Despite my struggles, I do try to squeeze some juice out of the lemons each day. One way is to look at the life lessons I have learned on my journey so far:

• Perspective. It’s taken me some time, but I think my perspective on life has changed quite a bit since my diagnosis. Like the book, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,” I try to let go of the little things in life that used to bother me in the past.
• Compassion. I believe I’m becoming a more compassionate person because of chronic illness. Perhaps that man walking very slowly in front of me has a heart condition, or perhaps that poorly-dressed family cannot afford new clothes because the father has been out of work for quite some time. We may not know the burdens faced by others. Their journey is very different from our own.
• Perseverance. Some days I just would like to crawl under the covers and stay there forever. But I can’t. I have a husband, two kids, and family and friends who need and love me. I have to take my medications, visit my doctors, endure medical tests, exercise, rest, and take care of myself despite my limitations. I have to keep on keeping on. I have to keep my glass half full even though I might spill a bit along the way.

Excerpts from this post original appeared in Making Lemonade on the 2 friends 3 things 1 blog in July 2011.