It was a morning like most school mornings. Except it was the day after Halloween and my preschooler’s very first ever Picture Day. Because it was the day after Halloween I had to give her a bath; her hair was pretty crazy for her “rock star” costume and who wants that in her very first ever school pictures?
On school mornings we have a pretty strict routine. I even wrote it on our family dry erase board so my husband could get with the program when he is home occasionally in the mornings. It goes as follows:
7:00 am Wake up
7:00-7:20 Breakfast
7:20-7:30- brush teeth/potty
7:30 am Get dressed
7:45 am Get hair done
Well on this morning, all went according to plans for my 2nd grader; she got picked up around 8am dressed, fed, brushed and ready for a great day. Meanwhile Molly did not want to get out of the bath, she was having a blast. She doesn’t start school until 8:35am so I figured, why rush? She got out of the bath got dressed in her pretty dress and got her pretty hair done. We brushed out teeth together and even had some time for her to watch some Curious George on TV.
It wasn’t until about 10am when I went to clean up the kitchen that I realized, to my horror, that there was only one cereal bowl in the sink.
I FORGOT TO GIVE HER BREAKFAST.
I should run and bring her a snack, I thought. I quickly dismissed that idea, they get snack there and I’d only be disrupting.
I FORGOT TO GIVE MY BABY HER BREAKFAST!
I called my husband; after all it was his fault. He was home this morning and disrupted our routine (?!?!) I was sure some of this guilt I was feeling should be shared by him. To my disbelief, he laughed. I was not amused.
With my head hung low I went to pick her up from her ½ day of school.
“Was Molly really hungry at snack time today?” I asked her teacher. “Not really” She replied, unconcerned
“I am so sorry!” I told my preschooler. She looked at me like I was crazy. “Why?” She asked
REALLY???
I had worried all morning …felt like an awful mom because I forgot to send her to school with a full belly and she hadn’t even noticed.
So many times we give ourselves grief over our perceived failures as moms. We spend hours agonizing over decisions and mistakes forgetting all along that there is One who we can turn to with our worries. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
So next time you are having one of those mornings. Lay your guilt, your fear, your grief at the feet of the One Who Knows and find peace in his truth. I might forget something again but maybe next time I’ll rest in Him and forgive myself….and not take out my guilt on my wonderful husband!!