Accept Today For What It Is

Jessie Willcox Smith - Young Girl Sweeping Front Step

Lately, I've found myself getting frustrated. Blame it on being more housebound this week, the mixture of emotions due to my sister getting accepted to college, or the aches and pains that just won't go away no matter what I try.

Today was spent preparing the house for a senior (senior citizen, that is) dance and potluck. I hadn't left the house since Thursday morning, and I felt stuck. I've washed more dishes in my life than I care to recall, and as I washed more dishes, swept more floors, I became angry for a few moments. With each little dish I pick up, with each little sweep of my mop, my back pain steadily increases. For this reason, housework is a slow, painful process. I used to be so fast at it! But as I've gotten older (and by older, I mean 24...) my spinal arthritis has gotten worse, and my hernias feel like they'll never repair.

I began to mentally whine.

But, then I realized something...

I have to accept today for what it is. Not for what I want it to be. Today's challenges, be it a small frustrations with housecleaning or a cosmic, internal conflict between my dark side and God, are scraping away the imperfections of my soul, polishing me like a stone.

Maybe I will never be able to clean very quickly again. Maybe I am doomed to feel like I am wasting my time doing the same chores, day in and day out. But if my heart is settled, and I am doing the best I can do, I am doing just fine...

PS. So excited to have a new blog layout!! I had a great big smile on my face, and my mom looked at me and asked what was making me so happy. Sheepishly, I said "Oh, just blogging!"