My husband and I have a quote that we bought in Arizona on
vacation and it has blessed all of our apartments and now our home. It states, “Everyone is crazy besides you and
me, and I’m beginning to wonder about you.”
We thought it was hilarious. We always
talk about the “extremes;” those bizarre people we have met along the way which
makes us look at each other with a questioning eye and then try to validate
that it can’t be us. “It can’t be us,
right??” It has to be them, yeah? We thought this quote was funny because
sometimes we look at each other and say, “It’s us.” We are nuts.
NUTS! Then all of the sudden, you will catch a
glimpse of someone else’s ‘wild’ eyes and that will be it; friendship aborted. It’s them.
Yes, it has to be them.
Everything in moderation; I believe that is the sentence of normalcy. We can gossip, but not too much. ”Can you
believe Noreen and her husband fought over a SOAKED DISH???”
We can feed organic, but give the kid a chicken nugget for
lunch and a lollipop for dessert for god’s sake. Let them LIVE! Let them have a sugar high, a sugar low, and
then scream and cry. Let it happen! “I’ll give them Kale tomorrow, I swear to
it!!”
We should care but we should not become a helicopter mom,
you know…hovering and micromanaging. The
extremes are what I find to be over the top and at times, a little bit ridiculous. Someone who is extreme in thoughts or
actions, make me question their motives.
Are you doing it because you believe it, or because you believe you are
better than me? Are you judging me if I
don’t do the same things? Those are the
questions to dig deep in to with a shovel, a garbage pail and a heavy duty face
mask. As my 2 year old says, “PEE-YOU!!!”
Peel the onion, layer by layer and you will find the core;
inside at the heart of it all, the truth.
And this concept does not just live in parenting
decisions. It resides in relationships
and friendships as well.
What sparked this post is because I’m upset about a few moms
who were cold to me today and it bothered me tremendously. Nobody likes to feel awkward and
uncomfortable, if we can help it. I left
asking my husband the same question…is it me?
I don’t understand how some people who used to be nice to me are now
cold because a circumstance has changed and it wasn’t to their liking. It made me feel like I was the foolish one,
in this case. I felt upset and
questioned myself; my normalcy. But, as
my husband and I talked it over, we decided that our realities are just
different. I just have to move forward
and be confident enough in myself. I’m
not the one being catty, so I’m not the one who should feel bad.
So, how do we deal with it, ‘the extremes?’ As parents, we try to be as centered and
grounded as possible. We try to teach
our children balance. We try not to let
them be too extreme in all things; a lot can be said for a middle of ground
approach. If I put on the TV for the
kids a lot in the morning, I try to do stimulating activities in the afternoon. If they eat one too many cookies after lunch,
I try to stuff their face with broccoli at dinner. Balance.
If someone tells me that TV causes underdeveloped brain activity in 4
year olds, well, I’m going to walk right by you next week and pretend I don’t
see you.
As adults, we try to do the same. Lead by example. Show others friendliness and kindness and
shrug off the ‘extremes’ that are trying to tell you that you are doing it
wrong. If you feel like you are put off
by someone else’s approach to life, it is probably best to steer clear of them. Maybe they think it is you, maybe you think
it is them. Whoever it is does not
matter. Just steer clear. Lead your life how you want to lead it, but
don’t judge others who do not lead it the same way. There are no experts here; just a large
amount of information that we have to sift through. If someone tells me (with wild eyes) that
Johnson and Johnson shampoo causes cancer as I’m lathering my children’s hair
with it, I’m going to take note and then rinse.
My phone will ring off the hook when you call. I’m just saying. Help, yes.
Don’t try and convict me. I don’t
see your gavel.
The truth is we are all just trying to do our best. Right now, if you feel like you are being a
tad extreme and feeling a bit senseless yourself, put on some sunglasses to
hide those telling eyes.
But, if you are working hard to stay grounded and sensible,
you can show those eyes in the sun and be proud of yourself.
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