I'm a fairly spontaneous person. I am also a procrastinator. I'm not good at planning ahead, but can last minute something like nobody's business. My house is messy more often than not. I have a perpetual calendar of actual appts in my head that rarely make it to the calendar on the wall. I do my best to keep up with the laundry situation but all too often I'm making sure everyone at least has the jeans, shirt, and pair of underwear they need for the next day. That being said, I have gotten down on myself more times than I can count because I'm not like others who seem to have all of their ducks in a row all the time, or have their calendar filled with fun things for their family months in advance. While I will probably always aspire to be like these moms, it occurred to me this morning what a gift the ability to be spontaneous is.
I have belted out the line of a song for no particular reason so often, that my kids don't even bat an eye anymore and will often join in. We've had before bed dance parties just because the song on the radio was good enough that it would've been a waste not to. I have head banged next to my son's bed, just to hear his infectious giggle before he goes to sleep. I'm not afraid to go out and join in on the slip and slide and I've been known to cover it with dish soap just to make it faster. When they were little, I once added body wash to their kiddie pool in the evening and called it good enough. We've skipped through parking lots, and have had sock races in the kitchen to see who can slide the farthest. After all the no's that they hear from me, on the rare occasion that I can say yes, I say it like Elf, with all the expression I can fit into one word. I have jumped on my kids beds when they don't want to wake up, and made last minute movie runs. I have taken my kids to the beach for the day just because the urge hit me the day before. Our can of whipped cream is shot directly into my kids mouths more often than it's used on food. We hop in the car and start driving just so we can find the best view of a beautiful sunset, or stop everything and sit on the porch and watch the storm clouds roll in.
I guess the whole point of my rambling is to say that some of the most memorable moments that I have had with my kids were things that happened spontaneously. We have also had incredible memories from times that we have planned, but never underestimate the power of being last minute. If your kids ask you to do something and it's not at all what you have planned for the day, do it anyway. All too soon your kids will have other interests that don't involve you anymore and you will realize that years of "not having the time" have passed you by. As wonderful as some of my last minute escapades sound, I already have a multitude of regrets of things that I wish I would have done, or time after time that I have yelled at them for things that really weren't as big of a deal as I made it out to be. I will never measure up to the perfect mom image that I have in my head of how I think things are supposed to be.
The sparkle that a child gets in their eyes when you do something completely out of left field, is one of the most beautiful things in the world, and I have found that those moments are some of the most deeply gratifying of all that I have experienced with them. And while I will still work towards being more structured in my life, this morning I am choosing to be thankful for the free spirit that God has given me, for out of that have come my greatest memories.
