Taking a Step Back

‘Two steps forward, One step Back’.  How often does that phrase cross our lives.  I’ve discovered that taking step back can mean two different things.  One is indicative of a setback, failure, or an unwelcome detour in a journey to a specific goal or destination.  The other meaning, which I happen to Love, is to take a step back, as in to pause to evaluate a situation or gain a broader perspective.  It’s not meant to be a super quick step but more of a pondering one.

Life with six kids can become quite hectic, quite quickly and so all consuming, that taking those step backs can quickly skip my mind.  But when I do remember to take those steps back, magic can happen.  I can see the sparkle in my four year olds eyes, or listen to the excitement in my eighteen year olds voice as he tells me about some of the fun projects he is working on.  From that occasional step back, the kids transform from mommy’s energy-zapping, messy whiners to amazingly unique and talented growing wonders.  And I feel so awed that I’ve been blessed enough to be the mother of such precious spirits.

Sometimes in life when I’ve neglected taking those steps back on my own, then inevitably, some higher power compels me to take them by throwing those other (setback) step backs at me.  Ever notice how, when getting your feet knocked out from under you, all of the sudden life’s priorities become crystal clear.  Material possessions, trips to events, and worrying about what your friends think, all of the sudden becomes unimportant.

This morning things were getting busy, hectic, and the mama bear/snapping turtle in me was coming out.  Grouchy nit-picking  isn’t too much fun, it usually means I’m only seeing the negative, messy whiners.  Don’t know what happened, but somehow I was instantly in that step back mode.  I don’t recall how I go there, but thankfully I was there.  I instantly noticed that Princess was getting ignored even though she tailed around everyone bigger than her just looking for love.  So I forgot the dishes, laundry, to-do list for Prince Erik and I hugged a Princess and sat and talked with her for a while.

So today I’m thankful for those step backs.  And when I’m in an extremely generous mood I’ll also thankful for those darn (setbacks) step backs because they get me to the same place.  However, it’s better to humble myself  in the first place, than it is to be compelled to be humble.

So those little step backs are not all that bad after all.  I need to take them more often.

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