Julius Caesar supposedly described one of his victories as:
“veni, vidi, vici.”
Translation: "I came, I saw, I conquered."
You'll notice my title is slightly different:
"Veni, vidi, defecit."
Translation: "I came, I saw, I failed."
"Veni, vidi, defecit."
Translation: "I came, I saw, I failed."
This was my feeling last week. I had a little mini breakdown in my kitchen. Mark & I were cooking dinner together. The kids were in the other room. We were talking about my Bible study class (the Excellent Wife study). We had had just covered the page: Ways a Wife May be the Glory of Her Husband. It was basically a list of ways that you could help and take care of your husband everyday. It came off as very Donna Reed like.
I always thought I would love to be Donna Reed. The perfect housewife. My children would be little angels, only occasionally get into mischief. I would keep an immaculate house. I would know how to garden and cook and sew. Dinner would be on the table, for my adoring husband, when he arrived home from work each evening.
Here's the reality: I have twin boys that get into mischief (or worse) on a daily basis. I have a laundry pile as tall as my daughter waiting to be folded & put away. My floors need to be mopped. I have little hand prints and smudges on all my windows and most of my walls. Forget gardening, I can barely keep house plants alive. Cooking, well if you saw my Potato (Poh-tA-toe) Potato (Poh-ta-toh) post you would know what that's like. Tonight I have to glue my daughters girl scout patches on her vest because my sewing skills are non-existent. 5:00pm around our house is utter chaos! I try hard to have dinner at least defrosted. But, sometimes that's as good as it gets. Donna Reed. Who's Donna Reed?
I started telling my husband about some of the things the book suggested that I could do. Then I started crying. I had been trying so hard the last couple of weeks to be this perfect wife, mother, woman. Now I had this list of all new things I could be doing. I was overwhelmed. I couldn't do it all. I felt like a failure. My wonderful husband then proceeded to tell me all of the things that I do for him and our family. He told me that he couldn't do what I do. Which is great. Because, there's no way I could do what he does. He then reminded me that I had decided I wanted to be a more excellent wife, mother, woman. Not a perfect one. That's where I got overwhelmed. Rather than doing what I originally planned, working on small things to become more excellent. I had started trying for "perfection" in every area.
We're all at different stages of our lives. For me, during this season of my life, I will have near constant fingerprints and smudges on my windows and walls. I will have little boys who are learning and exploring and making messes. I will have laundry that may pile up. I may not always have dinner on the table. But, I will have a happy and well cared for family. They will know that I love and appreciate them. I will continue to do little things to become more excellent. I will not stress about it. I will not drive myself and my family crazy over it.
I will live, love, laugh and attempt to become a Proverbs 31 woman along the way.
Be encouraged that you can become more excellent in little ways. And, remember to enjoy the season you're in.
Here's the reality: I have twin boys that get into mischief (or worse) on a daily basis. I have a laundry pile as tall as my daughter waiting to be folded & put away. My floors need to be mopped. I have little hand prints and smudges on all my windows and most of my walls. Forget gardening, I can barely keep house plants alive. Cooking, well if you saw my Potato (Poh-tA-toe) Potato (Poh-ta-toh) post you would know what that's like. Tonight I have to glue my daughters girl scout patches on her vest because my sewing skills are non-existent. 5:00pm around our house is utter chaos! I try hard to have dinner at least defrosted. But, sometimes that's as good as it gets. Donna Reed. Who's Donna Reed?
I started telling my husband about some of the things the book suggested that I could do. Then I started crying. I had been trying so hard the last couple of weeks to be this perfect wife, mother, woman. Now I had this list of all new things I could be doing. I was overwhelmed. I couldn't do it all. I felt like a failure. My wonderful husband then proceeded to tell me all of the things that I do for him and our family. He told me that he couldn't do what I do. Which is great. Because, there's no way I could do what he does. He then reminded me that I had decided I wanted to be a more excellent wife, mother, woman. Not a perfect one. That's where I got overwhelmed. Rather than doing what I originally planned, working on small things to become more excellent. I had started trying for "perfection" in every area.
We're all at different stages of our lives. For me, during this season of my life, I will have near constant fingerprints and smudges on my windows and walls. I will have little boys who are learning and exploring and making messes. I will have laundry that may pile up. I may not always have dinner on the table. But, I will have a happy and well cared for family. They will know that I love and appreciate them. I will continue to do little things to become more excellent. I will not stress about it. I will not drive myself and my family crazy over it.
I will live, love, laugh and attempt to become a Proverbs 31 woman along the way.
Be encouraged that you can become more excellent in little ways. And, remember to enjoy the season you're in.
Christal, we have never met, but I admire the person and mother you are. I think it's so great that you strive to better yourself and break into the extraordinary. Just make sure to always remember that there are tons of people out there who think you already are. :)
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