Rocky

It's just about this time

that the holidays take a little turn for the worse..

Firstly, there's the inescapable knowledge that just 

one week remains before school begins.

It's time for me to start preparations 

for the year ahead, for family, music teaching and church.

My mind is a To Do List that keeps getting longer.

Emails are already coming in,

and a letter came from school today 

outlining the first day procedures.

Time is running out,

when it seemed endless, back in December.

One daughter is a little on the cranky side of normal

because this is the week that she's

planned lots of social outings,

and everything needs to be just right beforehand.
However that doesn't mean that other things

normally required of her can be neglected.

Little things become hard again.

The other daughter is experiencing the devastation 

of a haircut gone wrong;

has a big tidy-up to do in her room

before her friends come over on the weekend;

and told me today that she is feeling

that the holidays haven't really begun yet,

as if she's still waiting for something great to happen.

So our pleasant, calm path 

has become a little rocky today,

and looks to stay that way for a while.

I need to look out for the good,

and encourage it when I can.

Just as I did when I searched our almost-barren garden

to find a few pretty blooms and foliage.

They are there, when I look hard enough.

Sometimes, I need to work

to make good things happen -

even when all I really want to do 

is to go in my craft room and shut out the world.

At this point, I know my attitude is going to 

make or break the remainder of the holidays.

So, time to shoulder my pack and continue on,

hoping that the path becomes easier ahead.