Today marks the fifth day of school holidays, and I can tell you there is no peace in this household. Yet.
I know from past holidays that it takes the kids (and me if I’m being honest) a good two weeks to settle into the rhythm. To relax. To let the minor annoyances slide. To recover from a year of minor struggles and big achievements (or minor achievements and big struggles).
After a day of shouting and time outs, I grit my teeth and think “I wish I could just skip this bit and get to the good bits.” My kids keep saying “When is Christmas EVER going to come?”
If only life worked like that.
We have to live with the tough times. We need to live through the fights and the mess because only by going through them do we get to the best bits.
I don’t say this to be negative. In fact the opposite is true. I say it because there are always good times, but sometimes there’s a bit of pain to get there.
2017 was a great year. For months I didn’t feel like I was getting anywhere, but I ended up in the perfect spot. What a wonderful Christmas gift that has been.
Merry Christmas everyone. And remember if you can’t see the peace at the moment, it will be delivered when you are ready for it.
The calm Christmas vignette