Thursday Thirteen Ed. #83: Thirteen Things I’ve Figured Out in the Last Three Weeks
Oh, Thursday Thirteen, I love you so! You give my crazy week a little bit of shape, meaning and (dare I say?) structure.
Go say hi to Carol and Beth now.
Thirteen Things I’ve Figured Out in the Last Three Weeks:
13. Everything I do makes a difference/nothing I do makes a difference.
12. I’m cool with that.
11. You can apply for jobs out-of-state, pack up your house, and get things rolling in an amazingly short period of time. You can change your whole life around. You can cry while you’re doing this and ten minutes later smile because the daffodils and crocus have sprung and it’s all OK. You can recycle a ton of documents you really do not need and suddenly your load feels much lighter. Then you find an old dog toy buried in the yard and start crying again. And then the sun will come out and for a minute, things will be alright.
10. Remorse and regrets shut me down. I cannot afford to be shut down.
9. Instead of fuming, it’s better to attempt to be straightforward and deal with the problem.
8. My kids drive me nutty-cuckoo every day.
7. My kids save my sanity every day.
6. Even if the breadmaker breaks, you can still bake bread.
5. I am profound, no? (Sorry.)
4. It’s OK to ask for help. You may or may not get any help, but sometimes, it is greater than you can imagine, the love and support that is out there.
3. If I stand by the ocean I realize how tiny I am.
2. If I volunteer in my kid’s class one extra time during the week, I realize how important I am.
1. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, or no matter what you do, people (and critters) just don’t get better. Cycle of life. I’m not saying I like it, but I am saying I need to accept it. Will continue to try.
Yours,
WM
, 
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Hey WackyMommy-
Hope the move is goes well. But of course our kids drive us crazy and keep us sane- it’s their function in our lives. How do they feel about the move?
Jen
March 7th, 2007 | #
This is a great list and it really makes sense to me!
Happy TT
March 7th, 2007 | #
Things will get better. Hope the move goes well…just take it one step at a time and always focus on the positive.
March 7th, 2007 | #
DD and Jenny,
Thank you.
Jen,
The kids are excited — looking forward to being around their grandparents all the time (we only see them a few times a year as it is), and their aunt and uncle (who live a half-hour from Iowa City), and their COUSINS! Three blonde girls, and they’re all stairstep in age with mine.
The kids’ concerns are wanting to know where we will live (I want to know, too!) and will they ever see their Portland friends again? (Several of the parents here have asked if they can send their kids to us during breaks, so I think we may have guests.)
March 7th, 2007 | #
Good luck with your move. I can relate to everything you said here.
Terrific Thursday Thirteen!
My TT is posted.
Have a wonderful day!
Happy TT’ing!
*^_^
(=’:’=)
(“)_ (“)Š
Raggedy
March 7th, 2007 | #
I think #4 is so important for women to understand and remember. It’s something that should be pasted onto their mirror or somewhere were they would see it and read it each day!
March 7th, 2007 | #
It all makes sense to me! This was a very good list. My TT is also posted.
March 7th, 2007 | #
Hellooooooooo Raggedy kitty and Janet.
March 7th, 2007 | #
Very nice list! You’re right, we seem so small beside the ocean!
March 7th, 2007 | #
Yes, indeed. Especially during a storm on the Oregon coast like we found ourselves in a couple of weeks back, at Neskowin. I was glad we weren’t on the ground floor.
March 7th, 2007 | #
That’s all very true. Good things to remember. A move can be painful, but it can also be like shaking out your life, getting rid of a lot of the debris, and helping you realize what’s most important.
Now you’ve got me doing it (#5). :) Best of luck. Hope it all goes well.
March 8th, 2007 | #
Great List, very important to remember. Funny and profound as well. I just might have to ‘borrow’ (steal) this idea.
Thanks for sharing
March 8th, 2007 | #
wowowee i loved this list!!
i’m so with you on the dichotomy of how insignificant AND how important we are!! and how the kids save you and sink you every day.
great job at putting it all in words!
March 8th, 2007 | #
Yeah, I know all about the ups and downs of moving too. Good Luck You have to be a mother to know the love/hate/sanity/insanity that goes with having kids. Have smooth move.
March 8th, 2007 | #
I love your thoughts! We can always look at life two ways – either with acceptance or regret – I love acceptance! Nothing is better than life, especially when you have a family – even if they do make you wacky. :)
March 8th, 2007 | #
I have to work on #4 on a regular basis. Sometimes it’s tough to ask for help, isn’t it?
March 8th, 2007 | #
OK Lady…here’s the thing: we had some good times baking bread together. You filled me with good stuff. Organic stuff. And I appreciate that. For many years you handed me the ingredients and I – in turn – provided you with beautifully fresh and perfectly crusted bread. BREAD! Nutritious bread. The ONLY bread (as I recall) that certain smallish members of your family would eat. Is it coming back to you? I thought so. And then – one day – out of the blue you’re deciding to move and it’s all about the getting rid of the extra junk in the house and the too much of this and that and it’s all boxes and out the door. And I saw it coming. And still – I baked for you. I BAKED! Cause I thought we had something. But then – it happened. The alleged “spot” on the pizza dough. I don’t know how it got there. It doesn’t matter. One lousy spot and I was out the door. In some unfamiliar vehicle being moved to an undisclosed location. After all those years. One lousy little spot. We can’t all be perfect all the time, lady. Stop mentioning me in your blog. We’re finished. It’s over. I’m here now with people who love me and are willing to overlook minor imperfections for the sake of excellent nutrition. I’ve moved on. Viva la bread!
March 8th, 2007 | #
Breadmaker: Kiss my foot.
March 8th, 2007 | #
so glad I clicked over. I love your list!
I agree that #4 is very important – in fact, asking for help was one of my resolutions this year.
Best of luck with the move.
March 8th, 2007 | #
I am so with you on #2…there is nothing like making your child’s teacher’s life easier and making a difference in school to make you feel like you REALLY made a difference. It takes so much less time than doing 5 loads of laundry and is so much more vital!
As for #9…as a survivor of clinical depression fighting every day to stay in “remission”, I can never forget that some define depression as “anger turned inward”. And yes, I was raised in a home where anger was not expressed or tolerated. So I have to fight my natural instincts to fume and seethe and instead express what is making me angry. And it is SO much healthier!!!!
March 9th, 2007 | #
This is a wonderful TT. I used to do them, you know, but mine were never this thought out and well written.
Glad the move is going well so far!
March 9th, 2007 | #
Mrs. Flinger, you have moved several times, I have heard.
March 9th, 2007 | #