Learning

There has been a lot of learning going on around our house this week.   In the span of a few days Earl quickly and quite efficiently assumed a ton of my responsibilities.   The carpools (middle school and dance), the open house at Kelly, the laundry, and even the cooking.  I might have to admit that his stuffed shells are better than mine.  Or it could just be the fact that stuffed shells always taste better when someone else makes them.  But I digress. The kids have been doing some learning of their own.  They have learned to be extra quiet when the office door is closed, that Daddy's meatloaf is just as good as mine, how to fold laundry (McKenna and Cooper), and that coloring is a great way to pass the time when your mom is studying (Kinley).
For me the learning has been about healthcare policy and ethics, submitting videos of myself in place of papers (yuk!), and a bit about balancing work, school and a family.   Perhaps that is where the most growth has occurred for me.  In just one week I have learned a ton about letting go and letting others assume some of my responsibilities.  It hasn't been easy to be the one tied up in the evenings, missing Cooper's open house or having the laundry not done on my time line.  I haven't necessarily enjoyed Saturday afternoon spent in the office writing papers, but that is the season of life that I have entered into.  Among all the things I'm constantly afraid I'm missing out on are the blessings that, trust me, have not escaped me.   The way the kids and Earl encourage me;  little texts from my friends saying they are praying for me;  a lunch date with my parents;  a couple of extra books read before bedtime with Kinley; a few early morning episodes of Boy Meets World with McKenna; Friday morning breakfast with Cooper; shopping for Halloween costumes with the kids.  All of these things I've done many times but suddenly they are a whole lot sweeter.  My new, crazy schedule has forced me to be present, to make time and to savor every moment.  Earlier this week one of my professors said that grad school can be hard on families.  I lamented that statement with Earl later that evening.   I always said I would never do this if it meant taking special time away from my family.  He reminded me that I'm coming from a place of quantity time and heading to one of quality time.  And it makes perfect sense.  He went on to remind me of the Saturday morning Dunkin Donuts dates he used to have with McKenna while he was in anesthesia school.   They probably spent no more than 30 minutes at the donut shop but she still talks about those mornings to this day.  I am clinging to those types of reminders.
We are continuing to plug along, continuing to learn.   Most of the time I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing on several levels.  But then every once in awhile I have a few hours of complete peace where everything seems to just be "right".   I'm grateful for the chance to learn to appreciate those moment,s and so many others, maybe just a little more than I did before.