A little over a month ago, I made a very simple change that has had an enormous impact on how I view my days.
I have always referred to the evening hours, when dinner needs to be on the table, baths need to be rendered, and homework needs to be completed, as the witching hours.
From the time my children step off the bus in the afternoon, until they are tucked safely into their beds at night, our house is a mass of activity and confusion. There are notes to be signed, bikes to be ridden, Frisbee's to catch, and dinner to be made; Teeth to be brushed, lunches to pack, scriptures to be read, and chores to be done.
Somewhere along the way, I began to dread those hours, and I didn’t like that I couldn’t look forward to those moments, when my family was gathered together, with true happiness.
I thought long and hard about what I could do, because my attitude set the tone for our home.
If I was stressed out, my kids would be stressed out. If I was rushing, they were rushing. If I got loud, they got loud.
I didn’t like the environment that my home had become, and I decided that I needed to do something about it.
So I decided to call these busy hours “The Golden Hours” .
This small decision was exactly what I needed.
Instead of dreading the busyness, I embraced it. I look forward to those hours, because they are full of magic.
It’s my privilege to have the opportunity to stay at home with my children .
It is my privilege to be the one that patches up a skinned knee.
It is my privilege to discipline my child, and it is my privilege to teach them that their brothers and sisters will be their best friends for the rest of their lives.
I am lucky that I get to cook for my family, and that we get to sit down to dinner each night as a family, and talk about our days.
Do we still argue with each other? Yes. Is dinner sometimes late? Yes, and sometimes it even comes from Taco Bell.
But at the end of the day, I know that we are happy, and that my kids feel loved, and they know that the relationships we have with each other are the only ones that matter.
I now look forward to those few special hours, because they truly are golden, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
