It’s late and I’m tired and ready for bed. OK, it’s not really that late, and I’m not just tired. Exhausted is more like it, and it’s actually only 9:30PM. I want nothing more than to get into bed, read for five minutes, and go to my happy place. And I’m not the only one. Jon’s just as tired as I am, so we’re both taking one for the team tonight.

I admit, I thought about sneaking into bed when he wasn’t paying attention, but then I felt guilty, and decided against it. A decision I’m sure I’ll regret tomorrow morning when my alarm goes off. That guilt, showing it’s undesirable face just when I’m about to do something underhanded.

Our bed is calling.

But we can’t answer it. Not just yet anyway. There is no Good Night Moon yet.

It seems our children are wide awake, doing their homework, and it feels strange to go to sleep before they do. They’re in the kitchen, eating a snack before bed, making MORE dishes, and studying.

The nerve of them.

I have to keep reminding myself that it’s only 9:30PM, even though it feels much later.

When did we become the ones who want to go to bed before they do?

But it feels strange to tell my kids to close up shop, turn the lights off, and go upstairs without being there to say good night to them. And while I’m confident they could handle making sure the oven’s off, I’m not quite ready for them to put the house to bed.

I know years from now, when Jon and I are going to early bird specials, wiping drool off of our faces, and tucking ourselves in by nine each night, we’ll wish we could go back to this: a loud and chaotic household filled with messes made five minutes after the room was cleaned, and laughter that makes my heart sing.

If you’re tired from the day to day demands of your life, and don’t know how many more dinners you can make, lunches you can pack, or dishes you can clean… hang in there. Try to look at the big picture, recognize it won’t always be this way, and embrace it. Your house doesn’t have to be perfectly clean and dinner doesn’t have to be gourmet. But the interaction you have with your kids each day, well, that’s what they’ll remember years from now.

It’s easy to forget what’s really important, and let the inconveniences of life take center stage, but don’t let that steal your joy. Listen to the laughter of your kids, and forget about the rest.

So for now, I’ll do the dishes again, stay up to turn the lights off, and tuck my kids into bed. It’s not my burden, it’s my privilege.

Finding meaning each day,

Dara