I’ve written before that parenthood offers a new perspective on life, such as God’s love. Today I’ve decided that being a mommy echos that of a politician. Why, you ask?

Mutiny. 
It’s fun to blog about all the small joys of parenthood – the funny things kids say, the way they explore the world and offer creativity and new perspective. The giggles, the playfulness. And we’re good at complaining about late nights, tempter tantrums and expensive diapers. And stories of going to the grocery.  But we say little about how exhausting it is to be in charge all the time and come off seeming like the bad guy. And when you have 2 close in age, often in cahoots, it seems you’re always redirecting to an activity a bit less hazardous or refereeing over stolen toys. No matter how much you allow them to direct themselves in play and conflict resolution, it seems they always want a 3rd party opinion. 
So during a recent non-existent nap time, I decided that perhaps we need to give our elected officials a bit of a break. Much like parenting, I’m sure their goal really is the greater good. But with that comes asking citizens to do things they don’t like to do. Like clean up their messes. Authorities are often caught in the middle of differing interests, both of which are quite valid. And there’s just not enough time or money to do what everyone wants to do, all the time. 
Some try to govern and keep peace, and then there are those who think they have a better idea. And the “better idea” rarely has anything to do with looking at it from all angles. Yes, perhaps the peacekeeper does have an agenda: sanity. A large group of relatively happy, healthy, well-adjusted citizens. So next time we’re griping about the state of the nation, I’ll have a few thoughts. 

  • Yes, it may seem as if the younger one gets what she wants at the expense of the older one, simply because we can ask more of him. That’s part of being the oldest. You’ve got a better chance of being a CEO or President because of it. 
  • Sometimes you have to take care of disagreements yourself because others are busy TRYING TO PUT THE BABY TO SLEEP FOR THE 11TH TIME. 
  • Even when you ask and use your nice words, others might simply not want to do what you’re doing because you have differing interests. This is allowed, so please don’t throw a fit when everyone isn’t doing what you find most stimulating and rewarding. 
  • You are able – even encouraged – to find solutions all by yourself. Need more milk? Go find the cup. Ready for a new activity? Look in the toy box. Change begins with you, my friend. 
I wonder about my ability to run a household of 5, let alone an entire community or country, of thousands. Hats off to you, my public official friends. The office is all yours.