An Extra Dose of Kindness

Oh, 'tis the season!

We've been cooped up in the house for a week. The older girls had a cold, followed by my son waking up in the middle of the night with flu-like symptoms, and as soon as he was done with that, both boys caught the cold from the girls!

Things in our house haven't felt the same- a little more edginess, a few more thorns. So far, I remain healthy, though my husband now has the cold. Tired and worn bodies equal tired and worn spirits, and we have done all we could to keep grumpy children from turning every situation into a fight or temper tantrum. I have to say that, all in all, my husband and I have been successful, by putting on our silly personas at times, tag-teaming when needed, and being even more intentional with our attitudes and words. And we have found that the best medicine, for everyone, was an extra dose of kindness. When our patience was near its end, we dug deep for more patience and helped ease a child through a moment of frustration and crankiness. And when we felt too tired to be polite to each other, we still found the energy to say, "Please" and "Thank you."

That's what happened to me two nights ago. After having just drifted off to sleep, my husband woke me and said, "The baby pooped. Should I change her?" Still half-asleep, I mumbled something, which my husband interpreted as, "Yes, she needs to be changed." What I really wanted was to be left alone to sleep. Anyway, my husband changed the baby, which woke her completely, which meant that she realized she was hungry, which of course meant that I couldn't continue sleeping. So I got up, brought the baby to the bed, and noticed that my husband didn't know how to re-swaddle her. Everything in me wanted to fume and grumble. But good for me, I sat and nursed the baby without a word. Finally, I reached over to pat my husband's hand and said, "Thank you for changing the baby."

When I'm tired, it is all too easy to snap at the person closest to me. But my husband and children don't deserve that, and my being tired is certainly no excuse! Sickness, on top of weariness, generates a mean spirit in our home, but I try to tear that down, instead of building on it. Though the weather outside is cold and dreary, I want to brighten up the weather inside!

I hope everyone in your household is well. And if you are a parent running on minimal sleep, changing the sheets after a child threw up at 2am, or fighting the symptoms yourself, I pray extra patience and strength for you!