Burned Out Like Burnt Rubber...

In the Winnie the Pooh cartoon, it seems as though life is against Eeyore - every time he gets his house built to his liking, something makes it fall down. Whether that something is Roo (while trying to help Eeyore fix the house), the wind (on a blustery day), or a small butterfly. It's interesting how the creator of this cartoon and the writer of the episodes makes the "house" fall down because of something small.

Isn't this so true in our lives? Just yesterday my boys (ages 20 months and 2 months) were in the car when a vehicle driving in the opposite direction decided to turn left in front of me. I am not sure if they just didn't see my bright orange Avenger, or if maybe they were just preoccupied with something more important like texting on the telephone or eating their lunch, or maybe even brushing their teeth on the way to their significant other's house. I was so shaken after this event and had to pull over to regain my composure. As I turned around to make sure my boys were okay, I was relieved to see they were both sound asleep - I didn't cuss at the driver of the other vehicle but now that I know I could have, I wish I would have! Now, why do I tell you about this incident? Because it took something small like a VERY close call to make me open my eyes. I have been running around ragged trying to please myself, trying to please my husband, and trying to please others (even strangers) but this small almost-accident made me snap back and made me realize what is truly important in my life. Not only did this scary encounter make me snap back, but also helped me realize that I can never let my guard down especially when my boys are with me - I have to continuously be aware of my surroundings and always try to keep them safe, a mother's instinct.

My boys are the heart and soul of my life and always will be. When I realized that someone was going to hurt my boys, on accident or not, I became defensive like a mother bear with her cubs. Though as I said earlier I did not swear at this driver, I became very tense - somewhat like an angry street cat. Once the moment was over, I thanked my maker for keeping us safe. But, mostly I thanked him for giving me a reality check and making me realize that though I may be a busy bee, life's too precious to sweat the small stuff.

Sure, it's important to not sweat the small stuff and maybe that's why Eeyore is so persistent in fixing his house day after day. He may be gloomy all the time, "if this is a good day, which I doubt," but he's got one thing going for him - he knows what's important (having a roof over his head) and he has one focus and that's on his house...which others may see as just a big pile of sticks. I think we could all learn something from Eeyore!