complicated conveniences

The other day I was talking to my sister about motherhood.

Most mothers agree, motherhood is hard. But why?

It isn't hard to do the dishes. It isn't hard to play with my kids. It isn't hard to do laundry or sing songs or play games or run errands or read stories.

But to do those things day in and day out. To clean the living room and kitchen at least 3 times a day. To wash and fold and put away week after week. To read the same story over and over again. To teach children the same things repeatedly. And to do it all with a smile on your face and gratefulness in your heart: that is hard.

I think there is something else too.

There are so many things that make our lives more convenient. But in thinking on these things, I have realized that convenience does not equal simple. In fact, I think the opposite is true.

Convenience complicates things.

It is so convenient to have fast, easy meals, but that complicates our health.

It is so convenient to keep in touch, but it seems to complicate our relationships.

It is so convenient to hear what parenting "experts" say and other parents do, but it seems to complicate our view of ourselves as mothers.

It seems having the world at our fingertips make us less in touch with ourselves and less satisfied with our lives. Cheap, easy stuff and information turns into filling our homes and minds and lives with things that don't really matter. Sifting through it all to find happiness, wisdom and peace is hard.

But what if we took it away. What if we lived with less convenience? What if we took the time to make good, wholesome food for our families? What if we took real time to nurture relationships in our family and with our friends? What if we stopped listening to what parenting gurus or other mothers say is important and reconnected with ourselves and God?

I think we would find more happiness in motherhood. And in life. Of course, it will never be easy or convenient. It isn't supposed to be. But it can be less complicated.

In an effort to simplify, I'm going on a computer "fast" for a week. I need to get back to basics. I need to take out some of these conveniences that complicate (pinterest! facebook! endless internet searches!) and focus on just being here.

See you in a week!