You made a promise...........

Saturday I woke and saw the mess laying around my house...

the piles of laundry....

The dishes that needed to done....

and all of the little things out of place.

But rather than do these chores I rushed to get ready for a baby shower that I wanted to attend.

Walking through the door from the baby shower I was greeted by the same mess that was there when I left.

Regan ran to her room put on her boots and greeted me in the living room with an "I'm ready to go Mom!"

So, off we were again..............

This time to snow day at her school.

Yes, us spoiled beach folk bring in ice and pretend it's snow in 80 degree weather. ;)

After the snow fun was over we met up with one of her friends, picked up lunch, and headed home.

Again, I walked into our cozy home to see the same mess that I had left behind just hours ago.

As Regan and her friend ate lunch I told them.... "we can just stay here for the rest of the day and play here if you want"

Then with out blinking an eye Regan looked up at me and said "BUT MOM you PROMISED that on the first hot day we would be at the beach."

I did.

Boy, it would have been easy to have made up a million excuses and stayed home to clean the house but she was right.... I promised.

I remember the day that I made that promise to her.

We were talking about how fun this summer will be and how we will spend EVERY day at the beach.

As she spoke I saw a range of emotions cross her face.

I recognized each one.... the biggest one being guilt.

In the past we didn't get that many beach days despite living minutes from the beach becuase our sweet Bubba could not go.

So, if Bubba couldn't go.... WE couldn't go.

It broke my heart to watch Regan struggle with the guilt of being happy to be able to do something that she wasn't able to do before.

I have had this beast of an emotion come at me so often and the last thing I want it do is attack my baby girl.

So, with out thinking twice about it I said "you are right... I made a promise and I keep my promises! You girls have five minutes to get your suites on and we are off!!!"

I shut the door to my dirty home and we were off to the beach.

 

 

I could have simply said "NO... I have to much to do today."

 

BUT then I would have broken a promise, her heart would be broken, and I would missed out on seeing her beautiful smile.

 

Oh, how I love her smile!

 

I have learned in my short little life each day is a gift...

 

So, why would I waste it on laundry when I could be making memories with my daughter??

 

That night I stayed up folding the laundry, washing the dishes, and doing the things that needed to get done.

 

It is an amazing thing.... it all waited for me.

 

There was no major disaster becuase Regan's underwear was not folded.

 

You know what the fun thing is.....

 

While I did all of these super fun things {insert eye roll} that night I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face.

 

I couldn't stop thinking about Regan laughing and playing in the snow.

 

Her huge smile when she came down the ice slides.

 

How much fun she had with her friend in the waves. {despite the water being pretty cold}

 

How the girls laughed and talked as they built their sand castle.

 

That sweet girl of mine didn't have a care in the world, she was simply an eight year old girl having fun with out guilt......

 

and let me tell you something.........

 

seeing that was so much more rewarding than seeing a pile of folded laundry.

 

My sweet little boy taught me many things in his short twelve years here on earth with me and on the top of that list.....

 

ENJOY each moment, CHERISH them, stock up on them!

 

{and I have to add to that for parents and children that are greiving..... with out guilt!}