My Inner "Michelle"

I have a friend, Michelle, who is so lovely and sweet, she always brings out the best in me. I think we all have a "Michelle" in our lives; someone who speaks to our best nature. I guess we are most drawn to those qualities in others we feel we lack in ourselves. I just know that I try to emulate her and be more in tune with how she does things.

She has two lovely daughters and wears the loveliest flowing skirts and tops. (I use "lovely" a lot when I describe Michelle) Think Stevie Nicks, minus the drugs and singing. In addition, she has intelligence and wit in abundance.  While I am all brash and noise, Michelle is calm. She actually plays with little kids on the floor and devises messy, creative, fun art projects for them with lots of glue and feathers and spangles. She is artistic and beautiful.

I am thinking of Michelle a lot today as my jobs and duties multiply like amoebas, too fast to see. We have to catch up on our work. We have a 1:00 library meeting for the teen movie group. Sadie has just informed me that she MUST MUST MUST get to B&N for a gift card for her friend, whom she will see at the teen group. Lola is working on the intricacies of long division. I try to be patient, but after doing 20 examples, when she still doesn't check to see if the number after she subtracts is smaller than the divisor, I am fried. Boyo is working on his math too, in between flying his paper airplane around my head. (How many times do I have to tell you, NOT in the dining room?) My house looks like a disaster. My laundry needs to be folded. And speaking of laundry, I have to get to the nursing home to pick up Donna's as I forgot to get it last week and it has really piled up. My other little darling has broken another glass cannister in the kitchen and now all the sugar must be thrown away.

I imagine how Michelle would handle all this chaos and in my mind's eye, she is serene and lovely as she calmly goes from one task to the next. Getting it all done but never raising her voice at her precious charges. (Will you please stop swinging that Boy Scout rope around? You'll put someone's eye out!) The sad thing is, I know that Michelle doesn't have fewer jobs than I; nor are my my children any less precious. (Lola, this math HAS to be finished!) I just have to try harder to channel my inner Michelle, my inner sweetness and light. Wish me luck.