A great little story my Mom told me once that is so full of good stuff, I thought it would be a nice way to honor her by sharing this moment in time. The scene: in the kitchen, my Mom and her four young children, approximate ages because I haven’t a clue, let’s say, my brother 8, me 6, and my two younger sisters, 4 and 2. My Mom is making dinner and asks one of us to hand her the lettuce…whomever she asked claimed after looking in the icebox (that’s what they called it back then!), where is it? Mom replied very matter of fact,” it’s in the linen closet”. Oh, yes, of course, with the towels and sheets, where else would one store lettuce, might have been the thought.
Apparently – Mom, unpacking the groceries with four kids running around our small house at the time, had to run upstairs to tend to one of us which required two hands and she had run upstairs holding the head of lettuce which she was likely about to put in its rightful place – needing both hands, she opened the linen closet and placed the lettuce down.
This scene plays out in every household and metaphorically in our lives on and off at various times…chaos, disruption, multiple plates in the air (to add another metaphor). Lots going on at the same time…this can be challenging for some, debilitating for others, or just the way it is for those that can walk thru life and not let the chaos become king but rather embrace it, face it like a calm cucumber (keeping with the salad theme). Arghhh, who are these people, how do they do that? How did my mom do that…how did she remember, in the middle of the dinner time mayhem, the main ingredient for our salad was in the linen closet?
This subject is something that comes up for me from time to time, how do I even function with the multitude of things I am doing now? The nagging thought of, am I enough to all that need me, am I showing up for all these things 100% or am I spreading myself too thin. Why am I doing x, y or z when I can just sit on the couch with my dogs? (by the way I do that often!), all good questions.
When we think that thought, I am not enough…we are telling ourselves a story that does not serve us…because when we go about doing all those things we chose to do or must do with that thought, I am not enough, there is a good chance we aren’t bringing it all…that thought, that limiting belief of how we are showing up is limiting us! The opposite is, I am enough…and though I definitely have a full calendar and get pulled in multiple directions, I go with the thought, I am enough…because everything I am doing is being me, and by being me, I am enough.
I have to think at times, late at night, my mom, with four kids and yes my dad was there (but it was the 60’s, you know, mom home, dad out making the big bucks!) …she may have thought, am I enough. Well, yes Mom, you were enough. Anyone that can remember the lettuce is in the linen closet…is enough for me.
March 17th will be 5 years since Mom passed…I would love to call her and tell her, Mom, I’m blogging about the lettuce in the linen closet…after lots of explaining, including what a blog is, she would say, that’s nice. And that’s enough.
Feed Your Mighty!
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