Where do you find yours?
I often find mine:
* hidden within the depths of my morning coffee
* in the midst of my morning prayer
* and finally, (how glamorous is this?) while on the stairmaster. Seratonin’s a wonderful thing.
I also look to the “Arts” for my inspiration:
* Handel’s Water Music
* the sound track to Master and Commander
* the musical A Year with Frog and Toad
are all good places for me to “go” emotionally. For visual art, I am always refreshed when I spend several moments gazing at a Bouguereau. Or a Rembrandt. Or a Titian.
But you know something? My kids have different needs entirely–different emotional “requirements”, as it were. And at times they just don’t get my love of the quieter moment.
For example. At dusk, I like to light a candle, play some relaxing music, maybe start my evening prayer.
When the sun goes down on my children, though, they turn into a different creature altogether. It’s almost as if they grow fur. They careen through the house on their Princess Rider. They leap screaming from the couch and then laugh as they land directly on their heads. They tackle. They snort. They shriek.
In short, my children come to life at the exact same time I’m feeling drained of it.
So you know what I do then? I send them a little inspiration, in the best way I know how:
with this;
or maybe this;
or from time to time, even this:
To heck with the mess, I say, and (always) they agree.
Because we all need a little inspiration now and then.
*Ed note: my savvy readers will notice that these photos were not indeed taken after sundown. Trust me, though. A pound of cold spaghetti and a drop or two of food coloring will guarantee you the hour you need to make supper!
But will you need to cook supper if they eat their inspiration? How fun!! It is pretty much winter, I guess we should make some play-dough, thank you for the recipe! My 2 year old Clare, just markered her little hands with green marker…gotta go!
Bahahaha! This is great! Thanks for reminding me to say “To heck with the mess!!” more often!
Wowzers, that looks like fun!
The spaghetti does look inspiring, but what I REALLY want is the Frog and Toad CD. How come I never heard of this musical?
Cheryl: buy it for your kids for Christmas. They (and you) will LOVE it.
My beloved calls the hour before dinner the “witching hour”, and, indeed, it seems as if the kids are suddenly possessed by evil spirits! I guess it’s universal, huh?
yes! and I think “cocktail hour” was invented in response to the “witching hour!” š
Thank you Margaret for the play-dough recipe. I’m pretty new at being a mom so I greatly need/appreciate the inspiration!
What a cute…inspirational…post. š
You are awesome! What great ideas!
I would love to hang out with you for a day. We could go to a retreat together. If you came here, we could visit the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and go to Mass in the crypt church. It is so beautiful…so much time for contemplation…And your kids sound so much like mine. I’m going to check mine for fur this eveing…lol!
Can my kids come over your house to play, Margaret? š
WOW! Magenta hands are my kind of thing!
They’re the most colorful of high 5s!
Your house sounds like a lot of fun! Great post. I’ve bookmarked your recipe blog, YUM!