Keeping Things in Perspective

I had a nice perky post all ready for you today, about cookies–complete with a drool-worthy picture, and a tempting recipe.  But my heart’s just not in it.  Instead, I give you:  Things that Weigh Heavily on My Mind.

I’m writing in the cafe at our local Barnes and Noble.  I’m avoiding our house–Toby’s there.  He doesn’t actually have my permission to be at home today, and as a result, there is a small pinchy spasm running up both sides of my neck right now.  His carpool is having a sudden re-organization issue (nothing to do with us) that means he has to arrive at school at 8:10.  Instead of 8:50.  Every day.  For the rest of the school year.  The meltdown at our house has been significant; this morning he flat-out refused to go.  When the school called to confirm that he was home sick, I told the truth:  he’s home, but he’s definitely not sick–it’ll have to be an unexcused absence.  Not insignificantly, on the two mornings per week that I drive the kids to school, I am going to have to leave the house 40 minutes earlier than I have been.  I’ve been stewing on this situation all morning, getting increasingly out of sorts.

It’s a small nightmare, but he’s making it far worse by being such a PRINCESS.  Yes, he is being inconvenienced–shit happens.  He needs to just suck it up and cope.  When we book a plane flight–chosen carefully so that I don’t have to get up too early–and the airline changes the departure time at the last minute, causing us to have to arrive at the airport a full hour earlier, we don’t kick and scream and refuse to go.  We reset the alarm clock and get there on time.  Welcome to life.  I’m not sure how to teach a 16-year-old that sometimes you just have to accept that the world doesn’t revolve you.

In my head, I’ve been fantasizing about marching into the school and demanding an end to this before-school study session (the two 9th graders in our carpool are required to attend) that’s disrupting my life and forcing me to deal with a cranky 16 year-old.  It’s all about me!!!

Then, having been away from news all morning, I opened up my laptop just now, and there was all the miserable, horrific information coming out of Haiti.  It really kind of puts things in perspective.  Maybe, instead of whining about what time my alarm clock is going to go off tomorrow, I should be grateful that I have things like shelter and food and, you know, life.  Maybe I should do something useful.

Lee gives blood regularly; if it’s been long enough since last time he gave, maybe he’ll go do that today or tomorrow.  I feel bad that I don’t give blood; I know I should, but it tends to make me pass out, so I don’t.  Instead I’ll give some money.  Probably to Doctors Without Borders, or the Red Cross.  Maybe to both.  I know the need is far greater than I can imagine.

What do you know?  The world doesn’t revolve around me.

We’ll muddle through the early-morning carpool situation.  I’ll just suck it up and cope.  And remember how very, very lucky I am.