The Real Deal on Bad Days

Today was not a good day. 

The sun was shining, koala and I had no big plans, and still it was not a good day. Without anything overtly terrible happening, it was still not a good day. The tears were flowing, the despair was real, and the exhaustion enveloped it all.

These days do come, and they can happen without warning. They can leave without a trace or linger for awhile, but they come for all of us. And that's okay. Ride the wave, embrace the tears, and know that every rookie parent has experienced the same, and will do so again.

A few days back, the littles and I had an amazing day. All meals were fresh and homemade, adorable arts were crafted, and laundry was done and put away. Not only was the sink empty but so was the dishwasher. The kiddos were clean and happy, and so was I. Now fast forward to today when nothing productive got accomplished, and my PB&J for lunch barely one-upped the takeout pizza for dinner. The fruit and veggies that usually round out such an evening meal were replaced by cheesy bread and garlic dip.

But that's okay. That's balance. Some days are Pinterest-worthy while others are more Snapchat. Or Recycling Bin Icon. Or 3.5" diskette being fruitlessly jammed into a CD-ROM. Forgive yourself those days and rookie parents, please know: the bad ones do not define you. They do not mean you are not good at this -the hardest job there is. It simply means you're normal. You're trying. And you're as real as that proverbial struggle.

Tomorrow may be different. Perhaps it will be a good day with some rough patches, or an awful day with a few bright moments. Either way, we will try to be thankful, especially in light of what happened in Manchester UK this week. When terror strikes and families are torn asunder, we will be grateful that another morning shone on all four of us. And that we have a new opportunity to love and learn, to giggle and grow, to be brave, and to believe in the good of this world. It’s there. Trust me.

Because you are still reading this, it is there.

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