This Too Shall Pass

My mom says that my children, when they are toddlers, are more challenging than others.

I have no idea since I’m not raising anyone else’s children, however, I’ve taken to telling myself “This too shall pass” as I am now raising two three-year-olds, plus 3 teenagers and two elementary age children. The older 5 are quite easy now, just super busy. The twins on the other hand . . . .

Here’s a day in my life:

March 18, 2020 was an interesting and very stressful day. We were about 1/2 week into the shutdown here in UT and we started the day with a 5.7 earthquake.

“What is going on?!” My brain screams as I feel heightened levels of anxiety and panic.

That thought set the stage for the rest of the day.

The next emergency is almost just as dire, my toddler cuts the child lock on my freezer!!!!

No!!!!!!!

So off to the store I go to immediately buy a new lock, because in our house, with TWO toddlers, that is an emergency. I pick up some water while I’m at the store since we had an earthquake that morning. Maybe grabbing water during this pandemic isn’t that bad of an idea!

Next, the drain on my kitchen sink starts leaking so the landlord comes over to fix it. “This is so annoying!” Thankfully it was easily fixed and he checked the house for damage and gas and water leaks from the earthquake. Thankfully everything checks out.

Around lunch I take my 13-year-old to voice lessons. I forget that my lights are on and use the car to charge my phone. When I try to leave, I have a dead battery. “What was I thinking?!” Thankfully the voice teacher and her husband help me out and I’m home sooner rather than later.

Later while I am trying to help the older children with school work, the twins have #2 potty accidents and spread it all over the floor. “I hate potty training!”

Even later, the twins find sidewalk chalk crush it on the carpet and draw all over walls while I do school with the older kids. “Who left the chalk out?!!!!”

I have everyone start to help me clean up the house and while I’m vacuuming under our indoor trampoline, my vacuum finds a pen, that I did not see, that is not in a case, and I get ink all over the brand new carpet in our rental house AND the vacuum breaks! “For real?! If my husband was home this wouldn’t be happening!” I think.

Off to the store again to buy a new vacuum and some hairspray because there is no rubbing alcohol to be found in entire United States!

Two hours later the house is cleaned, all the ink is gone from the carpet, the accidents have been cleaned and carpets sanitized.

And the day ended with a movie with the kids while I taught the younger girls how to cross stitch.

That day was spent with heightened level of uncomfortable emotions and I’m still alive to write about it. I can even laugh about it now! I think I even forgot about the earthquake by the end of the night!

As humans we are resilient! We are not going to die from negative emotions even if it sometimes feels like it. It is amazing what we can accomplish when we don’t let negative emotions slow us down.

So take some deep breaths, go for a walk, read a book, or learn a new hobby, and find a comforting thought. I replaced all my other thoughts with “This too shall pass” and I almost believe it now!

This pandemic is a circumstance and this too will pass. It is only as bad as we think it is! Hang in there everyone!

P. S. Here’s how my week ended . . . . ya, that’s laundry detergent mixed with oatmeal . . . “This too shall pass, this too shall pass, this too shall pass….”