Under the Bed

 "Patience and kindness are choices we make, not feelings we feel."

Much of my life is like a "Give a Mouse a Cookie" book.

Sunday morning I wanted to change the sheets on our bed. So I took off the dirty ones.

Which led me to notice what awful shape our mattress pad is in. Once our spending freeze is over, that definitely needs to be replaced. But for now, I decided to wash that as well.

Well, if you have the mattress pad off, now might be a good time to flip the mattress over.

If you have the mattress off, perhaps now would be a good time to go ahead and vacuum under the bed. So I moved the box springs.

Confession. Haven't moved the bed since we moved into the house in October of 2000. Which may be obvious by this picture. I picked up the pacifiers, baby socks, and random other items we found between the bed and the wall.

Might as well get the vacuum extension out and clean the baseboards too. Might should wipe down the wall behind the bed.

All before church right?

Before I started moving things, NONE of this was a problem I was aware of.

But once I became aware of how filthy it was under the bed, I was moved to remedy it.

As inconvenient as it was to tackle that Sunday morning and then still make it to church on time, it was necessary that it be done.

I feel like my current walk with church and faith is similar.

For years I walked along, never moving the bed.

But now, I've moved the bed.

Now I know about the mess. So I have to address it.

It's not convenient. The timing isn't great for me.

But once you know better, you do better.

I could say the same about my parenting journey. My big kids often tease that the "namaste embrace your feelings" gentle parenting mom didn't raise them.

Know better. Do better.

25 year old me said "I do" and had no idea what she was getting herself into. I've read books, attended marriage classes, learned and grew.

Know better. Do better.

Mama Warriors as we come off the heal of MLK day, that is the message that I shared with Peanut yesterday.

Once you know about the mess under the bed - it's your responsibility to clean it up.

Once you know about injustice, it's your responsibility to address it.

Once you know better, do better.