I am feeling overwhelmed. There are too many balls in the air and it seems like I’m not catching them before they crash to the floor.
Every spring brings this sense of urgency to get things done. The inside work is still there — or more so, if you consider the need to scrub the floors because the kids give no heed to washing their feet upon returning from rock picking.
Then there’s the outside work. The vegetable garden needs to be planted. My flowerbed has an overabundance of quack grass that needs to be dug out of it. The raspberry canes need to be pruned. Needless to say, there are countless yard projects I could tackle if I felt the urge.
School-wise, there are lots of end-of-the-year activities to attend including spring concerts, awards programs, field trips, not to mention the usual spring sporting events — baseball for Luke and track for Justine.
Thus far, the front porch has “only” seen the likes of the eldest child’s return from college, but that was plenty of stuff to find a home for. Soon there will be three more backpacks, duffel bags and other desk and locker contents to be “absorbed” into the house — somewhere.
Each day I check the calendar to make sure I don’t forget something critical. Like last week. Thursdays are daily Mass days for the St. John’s St. Andrew’s students in Greenwald. Miranda wore shorts to school. That meant she wore shorts to Mass. Not real cool.
And then there’s my mom. I feel like I’m failing her because I don’t always have the time she’d like to visit, fix puzzles, go for a walk or just sit with her.
Lord, that Holy Spirit you sent at Pentecost, I need him. I mean, I really, really need him. I need his power in my life. I want the gifts that he gives, especially wisdom and understanding. I need these gifts to grow as a Christian. I want to feel the Holy Spirit’s calming peace even (especially!) in the midst of these sometimes harried days.
Like the crabapple trees or the lilac bushes right now, make my life more beautiful, more fruitful, more of a blessing to others.
Rita Meyer is married and the mother of four children. She and her family are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Meire Grove. Email her at ritameyer@meltel.net.