Priorities

Today I cleaned out my refrigerator.  It really needed it;  it has been way too long since I had cleaned it out.  I mean, I've done a quick wipe off of a shelf here and there when some milk had spilled, and I had thrown out a couple of containers of food that had not been eaten before they spoiled.  I kept up on that--sort of.  But I have not taken everything out and wiped it down inside and out (okay, so I actually haven't gotten to the outside yet) in a long time.  Why am I confessing this?  Why do I want to remember that I have had a hard time keeping my refrigerator clean?  As I was cleaning it out, I thought about my life and how I've come to the point where these kinds of jobs just go undone for a while.  I used to be really good at keeping my refrigerator nice and clean--I would clean it out often.  Fairly regularly it got a good wipedown.  The shelves never had the build-up of little flakes of dried milk and whatever other nasty stuff starts to accumulate.  The front never had fingerprints all over it (this stainless steel drives me crazy!).  The vegetable drawers did not have small dried out baby carrots hanging out in the corners.  I thought about what I do instead--how my life is so full and busy right now--busier than I've ever been.  I thought about how I spend 1-3 hours driving kids around every day to sports, lessons and activities.  I thought about how food preparation takes so much more time when there are more mouths to feed.  I thought about spelling tests and bathtimes and bedtimes and soccer games and band concerts and volunteering at schools.  I thought about playing blocks with William and reading him books while we snuggle every day.  I thought about late night talks with my big girls and dates with David.  My life is so full--so full of good and urgent things every day, that the refrigerator never makes it to the top of the list.  I've had to let so many less-urgent things go--gradually--over the course of the years.  I just can't do everything I used to and take care of five kids.  Or else I would go insane.  Believe me.  I know.  I've been close to the edge of that insanity line.  I've had to let little things go here and there and instead I've replaced them with bigger more important things.  At least I've tried.  I try to keep the balance every day between those things that need to get done today (work, laundry, dinner, homework, etc.) and those things that should be done (scripture reading, time together, etc.) and those things that have to fit in there sometime, like cleaning out the frig and washing windows. And sometimes those other things just get put off.  Someday my kids will be gone and I won't have to spend time each morning making them lunches.  I won't have--get to--to drive to piano lessons and football practice.  I will have more time than I know what to do with (does that happen?).  And, yes, I will have a clean refrigerator.  But, until then, I'm okay with the way things are.  I love my life.

In full disclosure, my mom came this weekend to visit.  She actually cleaned out the last two drawers of the refrigerator for me.  She also brought me three boxes of apples and made a big batch of applesauce.  She is the reason why ironing gets caught up every so often and buttons get sewn back on.  She comes and plays with the kids and cooks us yummy food.  I love living close to my mom!  Thanks mom!  You are the best!