Today, I celebrate our decision to change our minds, to adapt, smile and move on rather than howling at the moon with self-pity. When working with a bunch of five and six year olds, this is the way to stay sane and, yes, even happy.
Last night, it rained cats and dogs, so when we took our daily trip to the marsh, staying on the boardwalk didn’t keep us dry as it usually does. Stepping on the floating platforms, all of us immediately sunk down a few inches into the water. It was, for a moment, a bit chaotic and challenging!
Those of us in boat shoes or crocs were fine, but those wearing socks and sneakers got soggy and a little uncomfortable. Add to that, two of the kids slipped. One boy and one girl ended up with water up to their belly buttons. “Oh, no!” intoned our inner perfectionists.
Through it all, though, everyone was able to laugh and move on. Our attitudes did not sink like our little feet! We got wet and we kept going.
Our plan to spend part of the day making instruments, then, was altered and we still had lots of fun. (We’ll make the shakers tomorrow and that’ll be just fine.) From the moment that we encountered that rising water, our plans had to shift and…it was okay. We were okay.
I sense that we are better bonded as a group specifically because we encountered an unexpected situation, avoided getting bent out of shape and, instead, supported one another. The kids got dry and the fun and games continued. This is how we move from survive to thrive in life.
At the same time, I will be honest… I am dealing with my own inner turbulence and leaning into my ACA friends for support. Moving from the homeowner style of life to the traveling life is not without its discomforts. In fact, a part of me wanted to get high or drink this past week. Luckily, I was able to understand that my best course of action in those situations is to talk about it. And I did.
We all step off the path and into the mud. This is how life happens to us. It’s what we choose to do next that counts. It’s how we process it together that matters.
