I sat down this morning to write a wonderful post about all the things that I am planning on doing with the kids this week, Holy Week. I was going to write about the food we're going to make, the lessons I plan on teaching on the various services, the egg decorating...(you get the idea).
I've decided, however, to not write about any of that! Why? To be perfectly honest, it will probably just make me frustrated at the amount of things we will truthfully NOT do, and it will frustrate you because you will feel like you're not doing enough.
I'm starting to see too much Martha in me, and not enough Mary! I am quickly losing my focus on the one thing needful!
Last night was my first lesson in not making too many plans this week. I spent the ENTIRE Bridegroom Matins service in either our church's baby comfort room or outside (my toddler was actually screaming so loud that I had to leave the building).
So, just to mix things up, here are some things we will NOT do this week:
We will not beat ourselves up if we are exhausted by Tuesday night.
We will not expect our children to make it through every service quietly.
We will not see the end of every service.
We will not stress out over what food doesn't make it into our Pascha basket.
I will not worry too much about what my children or I will wear to the Pascha service.
We will not try to force understanding into our children about what each service means.
Most of all, we will not make this week about eggs, gifts, food, etc.
So my new goal this week, is to just live this week to the best of my ability, to be at the services, and to make it through. The light at the end of the tunnel this week is the brightest of all!
I wish you a blessed Holy Week.
The "Orthodox Kids Journal Project"
4 months ago
Posts
2 comments:
Have a blessed Holy Week. I spent last night in the hallway listening to the service while my little one was running back and forth and playing with a box of candles. :-)
Thanks Ashley! Good reminders. I've completely quit stressing about what we wear on Pascha. We dress up for Palm Sunday and that is our big new-clothes day. We take pictures then and it is done. Somehow I can handle that because it comes before the busyness of Holy Week. Pascha is usually really cold here anyway. So, we put on something warm and comfy and go and celebrate the Resurrection. And I feel so much calmer. In my first few years of motherhood, I spent too many Holy Saturdays finishing up ironing/sewing/finding socks and pantyhose, trying to get sleepy children into nice clothes, etc. It wasn't worth it. And, as far as "teaching" this week, the services speak for themselves. As long as they see the service (or even just a bit of it!) they will get enough. They have a whole lifetime to do this over and over, year after year. Thanks for reminding me of this, too! I needed it!
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