Do What Makes You Smile

“Why aren’t you doing what makes you smile, mama?” His words cut right through the list making laps around my thoughts. Sometimes it takes that innocent reminder from a content little soul to pull us back into the lighter moments of life, and this time? It completely caught me off guard.

It was a long night, too much coughing, not enough breathing. It’s that part of the pregnancy where getting comfortable takes SO much more effort and once you’re there it’s all you can do to will yourself not to move… and then you have to pee, again. This night though, was also marked with coughing which meant little sleep and eyes that didn’t want to peel themselves open when light began seeping through the curtains and my little alarm clock, who goes by the name of Skylar, began a wake up call marking a new day.

I slept longer than I had planned and in my “list-making” head, that meant I woke for the day already behind. Once I could sling my feet to the edge of the bed and kind of slide, shift and shimmy my way off of the comfortable pillow-topped mattress, the race began. A little clean up here, starting a load of laundry there, running the vacuum, changing the diaper, packing a bag… and then he said it. Those simple words that made the spinning stop. 

I realized that I was still in my sleep shirt, with the words plastered across the front, “Do What Makes You Smile.” In the moment he asked, I clearly wasn’t smiling. 

With a step back I was reminded that, yes while there are things to do and lists to cross, there are still moments to cherish. Small pauses we can make in our day for the things that really matter. In fact, shouldn’t it be the other way around… allowing small pauses in the day to accomplish what needs to be done, and then living, really living, the rest of the time? This takes intention. It takes doing what makes you smile and making allowances for some of the other things that can wait. 

My question today is this, are you doing something that makes you smile? Maybe it’s even as small as adding a bit of whipped cream to your coffee, or using that list-making notebook to write something you’re thankful for or a note to tell someone you love them. Maybe it’s slipping in a bite of chocolate, or going for a drive to enjoy the fresh air and scenery. Maybe it’s just a kiss and cuddle with your kids or watching them play and laughing with them at their jokes. Whatever it may be… Do What Makes You Smile.

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XO