Skipping Out

I wake up to the sound of shuffling footsteps on the carpet at the foot of my bed. I look over at the clock. 5:23 AM. There's an internal sigh, a feeling of annoyance, and a feeling of dread, because the kids are up an hour earlier than normal, which means the day will be an hour longer.

I wish-- just for a minute-- I wish I could skip. Push fast forward. Erase the hours I have to live until I can go to sleep again.

I don't hate my life. I actually like it a lot. But sometimes, I don't like that I'm the one in charge of that life. I don't like being the person that always has to wash the dishes or drive the cars or supervise the piano playing or clean the toilet or wipe the nose or find the socks in the mountains of laundry I haven't folded yet.

I'm tired just thinking about everything that's my job to get done before the day starts, and it would be easier for everybody if we just didn't live that day at all. If we skipped it, the same mess would be there tomorrow, without any new mess thrown in.

When do you feel tempted to skip out?

Is it when you wake up sore because yesterday's workout was really tough? Your mind tells you that working hard today will be painful, and maybe you deserve to skip this one time.

Is it when you come home after a day at work, and instead of making the same boring healthy food, you want to just skip that mental burden and eat potatoes and ice-cream? (Potatoes are the best food in the world, by the way. Fight me.)

Is it when you're tired of getting to church on time, getting to school on time, getting to work on time, getting everybody there on time?

The desire to skip out is real. But whenever you skip out on something that's important to you, you end up losing something too. Sometimes, that opportunity cost is worth it. A day of rest is important for sanity and rejuvenation.

But most of the time, like in the morning when I want to skip the day, I have to make myself grow up again. I can't afford to skip. People are counting on me. So, I make the breakfast and I find the socks. I'd feel like the worst version of myself if I didn't show up for the people I care about.

The person who counts on you the most though is not your kids or your spouse or your friends. It's yourself. You count on you.

Because if you don't show up for your goals, you start losing hold of them. If you force yourself to grow up and show up for someone you love, take that resolve and grit, and use it for yourself too. Don't skip out, or the things you want and hope for will skip right on past you.