Initiative

"Initiative" has been a key word around here lately.  Why you may ask? ...

Last week I was running around trying to get everyone ready for their day. Okay, "running" might not be the best word.  "Fast" is not a good descriptive word for me.  I was however, trying to do a lot of things at one time.  As JJ was sitting on the couch, three words came out of her cherub-like  mouth that stopped me in my tracks.  Words that were like nails on a chalkboard at that moment... "Where's my breakfast?" .. ohhhhhh.  My response? ...."JJ, are you serious?"

I decided that it was a good time to learn some new vocab.  "JJ, do you know what the word initiative means?"  Of course she had no idea what I was talking about after a few failed attempts to pronounce the word.

What followed was a somewhat humourous and empowering conversation as I tried to explain to her the benefits of taking breakfast into her own control.  I told her  I was here to help and answer questions, but that she needed to "start" the process. To her delight, when she "started the process", she ended up with breakfast a lot sooner than what it would have been if she had waited for me.  She also ended up having some control over what she ate. Not a bad deal ...  She still can't pronounce the word, but since this day, she has taken pride in her "big girlness" and has taken initiative in making her own breakfast.  Supervision is definitely necessary, but she's coming.  She's started making her sister's breakfast too.  It warmed my heart this morning when she got Tee a drink and I saw Tee sipping from the drink in JJ's hand.  She has great little lips.  At this rate, I'm going to be out of a job soon. No ... I'm pretty sure I'm still needed around here.


So ... I'm trying to teach my children about initiative, but where do I fall on the "initiative" scale?  Matthew and I are pretty opposite in a lot of things ... women are from Venus ... so they say.  In daily life, I'm usually the one who initiates things.  I'm the one who wants to go out and do something, clean up or start a new project.  I start it with a flurry ... and then there is my darling husband.  He doesn't like to start many projects, but I have never known a more dedicated man who will stick out anything until the bitter end.  No complaining.  We're like a train.  I'm the engine and he's the caboose .... and what a nice caboose he has ;)


But, what happens when you lose initiative?  What happens when you don't know how to start something ... or what you're supposed to do?  How do you take initiative of your own life when you don't know what you want or how to get it?  What happens when you don't know what the next step is?  How do you "start the process"?


I have no idea what my life is going to look like over the next 6 months.  I don't know what my body is going to allow me to do.  I don't know what opportunities I will have as both my children join the "school age" era.  The original plan is slipping away.  That's okay.  Remember, I'm a train ... I can always find the track.  I'm just not sure where the next stop will be or how to start the engine.  Ah, life does have a funny way of moving forward so maybe I'll just hop on board and see where this train is going.