It's the sunshine in the sky that makes a person day dream of vacations, and sandy covered beaches.  Palm Trees and Cold Drinks.  Suntan lotion and soft breezes.  Remember that summer break time of the school year, growing up?  Nary back a week, already the itch over summer break could be felt in every single desk, at every seat, in each chair.  It made us all....antsy kids that we were...wiggle and squirm a little more each day, until that final bell ring on the last day of school.  That was the uprising moment of the entire year.  Traffic - WATCH OUT!  Casual pedestrians, or walking teachers...move over!  Weeks of school free, schedule free fun was officially on the horizon.

 

And once summer was kicking off with sprinkler games, and pool parties, lemonade stands and mosquito bites...somehow I would find some way to ruin it in my head.  Each day that passed I would say to myself; "Oh NO! This means we're one day closer to that foreboding "Back To School Day!"  NO NO NO!  And it seems now, that I spent SO much time worrying about the First Day that was yet to come, that I wasn't able to fully appreciate the freedom of the present.  So, when the topic of stretching out the moments recently came up, it definitely put me in a thinking state of mind.

 

Moments as children used to be that Last Day of School.  That extra half hour of swimming?  Totally a moment.  Eating Popsicles in the sun.  Definitely.  Going to the movies.  Building Forts.  All moments.

Our moments tend to change as we grow older.

It's that little thing - some little way that you are able to say to life outside "STOP FOR ONE SECOND!  I'm havin' a moment..."

I have a girlfriend who has her moments in the car...just after she drops her children off at school, she has those few minutes of peace on the way home or to run errands, that she cranks the music up way too loud and just sings like it doesn't even matter who might be watching.

This is her moment of peace.

Another friend of mine, and goodness knows how she runs the schedule she does - makes time once a month for her own personal massage.  This is the same woman that you will see volunteering at four different organizations, running her three children all over creation and back, and helping anyone in need.  But, once a month - all of that stops.  She gets one glorious hour of total pampering.  She doesn't buy pricey clothes, or care for manicures and I've never even known her to get a facial in her life....but an hour of back rubbing mind numbing massaging?  She's good every four weeks.

I take those moments in the pages of a book.

Sometimes with a Hershey Bar.

I've been known to take a moment in between laundry baskets if a certain show happens to be on t.v.

But for the most part - I find I collect my moments in the grocery store.

At one time it was beach fun.

Later in life, perhaps looking forward to a certain concert.

Now...it's the grocery store.

No children.

Just let me walk down the isles without interruption - not a lot to ask.  Even if I've left in a stress filled panic...I'll come home in far better spirits - because I had myself a moment.

Sometimes, in life - we have to take those moments we have, however small they may be...and stretch them out.  Because, goodness knows when we may have a moment again next.

So today...find your moment...and stretch it just as far as it will go!

Sometimes as parents...or employees, or friends, or even children - we forget how to take anything for ourselves, and then you know what happens?  Ooooone tiny little thing happens and we loose our mind!  It's true!  And pretty soon, everyone in the neighborhood is whispering about you because of that ONE time you decide to give a verbal lashing to the kid down the street who let his dog poop in your yard.

You know what they're saying right?  They're saying "Pssst! HEY! You know that lady at the end of the street?  She's crazy as hell!  Stay away from that house!"

Sometimes it's best to just let people think you're that nuts....and sometimes it's best if you keep yourself from giving up your sanity...and take a moment.  Sometimes you might even feel the need to take two.

 

Sometimes moments come in different ways.  Like Karma.  Everyone talks about karma - I personally, am a huge believer.  But, sometimes waiting for it to come back around - it can make a gal loose her patience.  I came across a news story this week that made me...well you know what it did?  It gave me a moment, AND it made me realize that sometimes...waiting is totally worth it.

Let me tell you about this news story.  Do you recall Terry Nichols?  He was one of the Oklahoma City Bombers.  He recently filed a formal complaint regarding the medical treatment (or lack thereof) he's receiving behind bars...it seems he's having a problem with a bleeding bum....terrible hemorrhoids, and he's just downright constipated.

Well, well, well.  My how the mighty do fall.  This is an example of stealing a moment - and a lesson in patience and karma.  The idea of this jerk's hind end feeling like it's on fire....that's the universe giving him a small kick of justice.  He's got a long way to go...but just knowing he's feeling it - I found this gratifying and most amusing....so that laugh - a stolen moment.

If you're having trouble finding a moment of your own, I recommend you find one to steal as well.  You can do this all day long because there is always something to laugh at.  This is because people, for the most part, are downright batty.  They will always do something just laugh-at-able.

This is very true with children.

 

Which brings me to another point - one someone made to me recently.  A very well made point.

All of these years, and I didn't realize.

Shame on me.

As a mother.

As a woman.

As the runner of my house-hold.

Parents, did you know that when you have children, and those little babes begin to grow and suddenly they are at the age, where they should be handling house-hold chores....parents...did you have any idea, this is when the chores for US, as adults - should come to a screeching halt?

I'm a fan of Tyler Perry.

Thereby, I am a fan of Madea.

So, if she says it - I know it must be true, and for years I've been doing my kids a terrible terrible injustice.

I have been finding myself so tired of asking them to pick up, clean this, make that...I just gave up and jumped in myself.

WRONG WRONG WRONG

-AND all of that cleaning time, takes away from a moment...that we could be having and stretching.

I have figured out how to make this work.

No longer, will I repeat five times in a row "CLEAN YOUR ROOM!"

That is over.

Gone, are the days of "Will you PLEASE take this trash out..." for the third time.

Oh no.

In fact, today...I myself, I'm going to have a moment.  Inside I'm going to be just dying laughing.

But, on the outside...well, my kids - will think I'm just flippin' crazy.

I am going to pile every single marker, book, spare sock and shoe that I can find just lying out of place - and I'm tossing directly in the front yard.

Not the back yard.

Not in a bag or a box.

Not in the middle of the living room.

I am going to pile that crap like Mount Free-Goods-For-All, directly in the most plain of view site in my front yard.

What my kids don't pick up....the kids from down the street can help themselves too.

And the next time I ask my wee ones to clean up .... I'm willing to bet they do it - you know why?  Because, they won't have any idea what I might do...if they DON'T!

And just think of all the precious time I will save by NOT picking up after them...all time I could use...to have a moment.

So cheers - to stretching out that moment of your own!