I WANT, but I WISH….
We all go through this cycle. I’m not immune to it and neither are you.
Life is interesting (to say the least). Whether you’re a parent or not, I’d be shocked if you haven’t found yourself fluctuating between the wanting and wishing of things. Our thoughts and feelings can often contradict each other, and sometimes it happens all in the same breath, the very same moment.
I WANT a bigger house… but WISH I didn’t have to clean it
I WANT to take risks…but WISH I didn’t get hurt in the process
I WANT to share how I feel…but WISH I didn’t have to be so vulnerable
I WANT to grow…but WISH it didn’t require change.
That double edged sword is a tricky fella.
Over the past six years, since becoming a mom, the WANTING AND WISHING has only magnified. Kids make life amazing. AND, they also make it really challenging. Some days, I feel like I’ve got a good handle on things, but MOST days, I’m all over the place . No one ever really warns you about the emotional aspect of raising kids. Ambivalence seeps in. You waver constantly. It feels as though I’m always bouncing between WANTING and WISHING.
I WANT my kids to play & be creative, but WISH I didn’t have to clean up the aftermath.
I WANT (desperately need) sleep, but WISH I could binge watch a Netflix Series all night.
I WANT to go on vacation, but WISH it didn’t result in SO MUCH laundry.
I WANT time to slow down, but WISH I could speed up the stage we’re in.
From trivial details to important issues, it’s easy to fall into this way of thinking. The BUT sneaks it’s way in so subtly. It slowly creeps into our frame of mind more than we realize.
I WANT summer to last forever, but I (really) WISH mosquitos didn’t exist.
I WANT to eat the whole box of Girl Scout cookies, but I WISH they weren’t so unhealthy.
Little by little, this thought process becomes engrained in our everyday thinking. And before you know it, we no longer appreciate what we DO have, the blessings surrounding us, and the gifts we’ve been granted. We resist. We complain. We desire more.
I know firsthand how quick you can succumb to the waxing and waning of wishing and wanting.
As we attempt to shift from this way of thinking, the more grateful we’ll be for the moments at hand.
