The season of life I am currently in is just OK. It isn’t grand, super exciting, adventurous, or anything of a page-turner each day. It also isn’t dreary, meaningless, unexciting, or a source of never-ending sadness. I’m hanging somewhere in the balance between the two extremes; right smack dab in the middle. Life is just simply OK and I’m super happy with that.
Just OK can be great – hear me out.
It’s okay to make choices that are in your kids’ best interests. It’s okay to say no to things, even fun things that you want to do and hate to miss out on, that interfere with nap time. The last thing any mama wants is an overtired, unhappy kid.
It’s okay to stay all day in your pajamas. Heck, it’s okay to have zero plans and spend an entire weekend at home in your pajamas. It’s fine if the kids never get dressed too. If you need a break from your parenting mental load, staying home and telling your kids that boredom sparks creativity is A-OK.
It’s okay to sleep when the kids sleep. Let the laundry pile up. Skip a shower if sleep is the only thing that will save your sanity.
It’s okay to prioritize your marriage over the kids. It’s okay to take a date night and leave them with a sitter. It’s okay to leave the guilt behind.
McDonald’s for dinner is just fine (plus, the kids will probably be more excited over this than the typical dinner they receive).
A good cry over whatever reason it needs to be at that point in the day is okay.
It’s perfectly fine to just be OK sometimes.
Am I making sense here? OK is normal. OK days mean that you’re trucking along just fine.
Don’t get me wrong; I have plenty of excitement, happy times, and my fair share of difficult and sad days, but I’m not letting any of that rule my life. The phase of life I’m currently in is dictated by tiny humans and their schedules, wants, and desires. It took me a long time to come to terms with this, but I’m good with it now and I am happy. I’ve learned that being happy with where you are in life (even if you have what you think are loftier future goals at the time) makes all the difference – in parenting, marriage, work, and all other relationships.
I truly think the best parts of life happen in the mundane, every day, will-pass-you-by-if-you-don’t-pay-attention, life.
Life doesn’t always have to be big trips, perfect family photos, and it especially doesn’t have to be wallowing in sadness. Showing our kids that and letting them know that everything isn’t all hunky-dory, bright and shiny all the time is important. Showing them that it especially isn’t gloomy and joyless consistently is equally as important. Life happens in the little moments we sometimes try to pass by, but acknowledging the “OK” in life will make all the difference. I hope one day I can look back and remember that at this time in my life, everything that was just OK, and that it was just where I needed to be.
I want to remember the big and exciting things and maybe the hard times too, but the OK everyday life is where I think my heart, and hopefully most of my memories, will always be.
