- Jun 9, 2022
- 2 min read
“It may not be your fault BUT it is still your problem.”
Embrace the Within.
Last night was something. We went to see Charlotte and her school’s performance of Tom Sawyer The Musical and right after intermission everyone’s phones started going bonkers for tornado watch announcements. We made it through the performance with only minor distractions and the kids did great. When I got home with Python, that was when the work began in the dark of night. First there were the multiple limbs down in the driveway that I had to clear before anyone else tried to drive home. Then there were the greenhouses that were lifted and moved by the wind. I had unfastened my two small greenhouses last week to get the plants more space in the sun without the added heat of confinement. Then there was the swamp created by the rain in the chicken run. And finally the tree limb that broke the wire fencing free at one corner of the run. So, there I was last night with Sophia holding a flashlight and me holding another flashlight and a staple gun fixing the problem before another deluge came through.
But the work had to be done or it wasn’t going to get doen. I could have waited until this morning. Kept the chickens inconvenienced and in the coop all day. I could have just driven over the branches and done damage to my car and let them damage the vehicles of the rest of my family. I could have chosen that it wasn’t my problem. That it was too much work. And that someone else would handle it.
And I think a lot of times, most folks really want things to not be their problem. What do I say around here? It may not be your fault but it is still your problem. I didn’t bring down the branches. I didn’t break the fence. I didn’t move the greenhouses. It wasn’t my fault. BUT it was still my problem. I still had to put in the work. Even though I was tired. Even though it was dark. Even though it was a swampy mess. Even though more storms were coming. The work had to be done. And in a few minutes I am going to go out and see the actual damage around here. No plants or animals seemed to be adversely impacted as I walked the plantation last night, however, another storm rolled through while I was finishing up the repairs. So, when the sun starts to rise, I will take a better look at where that limb came from and what else needs to get worked.
There are always going to be problems in our lives. The beauty of the challenges and the problems and the obstacles are that we get to decide how we handle them. We can ignore the problems. We can wait out the problems. We can handle the problems. We can let someone else handle the problems. We get to choose.
Bless your heart. Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.