I will be the first to admit, I am not a realist when it comes to time management, nor am I typically successful in terms of being in five places at the same time, or in creating the extra hours needed in a day to get it all done. I fail miserably in telling others “no” when I know without a doubt I have far too much on my plate begin with. Story of most of our lives. We stretch ourselves thin, we overextend ourselves, our jobs at work and home are never ending. Add kids and the schedule of law enforcement life and you can rest assured, feeling like a hot mess in some fashion will be a certainty for most of us. And one thing which I have to own about myself, I am a control freak who lacks the ability to delegate that which I perceive to be my own responsibilities to those who are willing to help me in my times of stress. Well, that sounds familiar… hmm?
So, all that being considered, when I got that phone call six weeks ago from K9 Lakota’s mom, Corey Fox, introducing me to Chris Carswell and his mom, Janet from 1Boy4Change.org, telling me I had the opportunity to get a service dog for our son, well of course it never dawned on me the extra hours in a day that would require of me. I had absolutely no clue whatsoever the dedication and time and effort it takes to bond a boy with special needs to a dog with special skills. And of course, it’s not the dog which requires the extra effort, it’s the boy, who has no intention initially of allowing a dog to do its job.
But something has happened to me in the past six weeks. I have been forced to say no to others. I have been forced to focus on what is truly important. I have been forced to let go of things which turned out to not be the end of the world without my immediate attention. And I have had my eyes opened to so much that was being missed in the midst of chaos and stress of daily life.
I don’t think it matter how it happens, or under what circumstance, as those life moments vary for all of us. However, the key is not missing it. Listening and learning and stopping ourselves long enough to take in those moments in life that ironically are missed because of life. I’ve had to change my priorities. I’ve had to slow down and give the time needed to my son and his dog. I’ve had to say “no” to plenty of people, a lot lately. I’ve had to walk away from my writing and put things on hold and I’ve had to just accept it for what it is, because it’s what my son needs right now. In turn I’ve learned how much really can wait. And I’ve been present at the show of life I’ve been missing until recently.
You know…. Life happens. And, it’s not always pretty. So many times we say to ourselves “when I have time, when I get done with this, when I get a break, after I get caught up, etc….” and the reality is when we rely on those moments, they will never come. We will always feel that tug to keep the chaotic ball of life rolling in the order it must so all doesn’t fall apart…that’s human nature. However, the power is in our hands to prevent the chaos from dictating our lives. I think we lose that truth under a pile of paperwork or at the bottom of a laundry basket at times.
You know, my dominant personality is at times a little irked about all these life lessons being reiterated to me by a service dog and my autistic son…. But I think that’s the biggest lesson learned of all. We don’t always know best. Always learning, always growing. We can always do better. Food for thought. ~Mel ©TPWL
For more on Izzy and Kozmo and their progress: www.facebook.com/IzzyKozmo
So, all that being considered, when I got that phone call six weeks ago from K9 Lakota’s mom, Corey Fox, introducing me to Chris Carswell and his mom, Janet from 1Boy4Change.org, telling me I had the opportunity to get a service dog for our son, well of course it never dawned on me the extra hours in a day that would require of me. I had absolutely no clue whatsoever the dedication and time and effort it takes to bond a boy with special needs to a dog with special skills. And of course, it’s not the dog which requires the extra effort, it’s the boy, who has no intention initially of allowing a dog to do its job.
But something has happened to me in the past six weeks. I have been forced to say no to others. I have been forced to focus on what is truly important. I have been forced to let go of things which turned out to not be the end of the world without my immediate attention. And I have had my eyes opened to so much that was being missed in the midst of chaos and stress of daily life.
I don’t think it matter how it happens, or under what circumstance, as those life moments vary for all of us. However, the key is not missing it. Listening and learning and stopping ourselves long enough to take in those moments in life that ironically are missed because of life. I’ve had to change my priorities. I’ve had to slow down and give the time needed to my son and his dog. I’ve had to say “no” to plenty of people, a lot lately. I’ve had to walk away from my writing and put things on hold and I’ve had to just accept it for what it is, because it’s what my son needs right now. In turn I’ve learned how much really can wait. And I’ve been present at the show of life I’ve been missing until recently.
You know…. Life happens. And, it’s not always pretty. So many times we say to ourselves “when I have time, when I get done with this, when I get a break, after I get caught up, etc….” and the reality is when we rely on those moments, they will never come. We will always feel that tug to keep the chaotic ball of life rolling in the order it must so all doesn’t fall apart…that’s human nature. However, the power is in our hands to prevent the chaos from dictating our lives. I think we lose that truth under a pile of paperwork or at the bottom of a laundry basket at times.
You know, my dominant personality is at times a little irked about all these life lessons being reiterated to me by a service dog and my autistic son…. But I think that’s the biggest lesson learned of all. We don’t always know best. Always learning, always growing. We can always do better. Food for thought. ~Mel ©TPWL
For more on Izzy and Kozmo and their progress: www.facebook.com/IzzyKozmo
RSS Feed
