Do it

Lessons from my daughter #26. 

Miss L is one determined little girl. Most of the time she is so cheerful and content that it is easy to forget about her strong willed nature. But it has been this strong will on display more and more recently. One of her new phrases is ‘do it’. Food, showering, potty time, stairs, hair brushing and getting dressed all get a ‘do it’ on her own. 

In an effort to burn up some late afternoon energy today the two of us trundled off to the park. Up until now Miss L has been happy to have a turn on the baby swing, play with some bark chips and then cosy up to me on the big swing. Today she took off on her own, rocked the swings by herself, dug in the mud, threw bark chips all over her head and climbed up on to the playground unassisted. She happily slid down the slide and then spent the next half an hour trying doggedly to climb back up. Five steps up, slide down, repeat. Finally, with a little boost from Mumma, she made it to the top and by the look on her face she might as well have climbed Everest.

Determination can be a challenge as well as a joy. This week I have drawn the battle lines and told Miss L that she can no longer migrate to our bed at night time anymore. The new bedtime regime and middle of the night routine does not suit our little one and she has no hesitation in making her displeasure known. Last night she kept the whole house awake from 3.30 until 5.00am. Tired doesn’t even begin to describe it. 

I have a little bit of a weight problem. Once upon a time I had three kilos of post baby weight left to lose and now, somehow, that has crept up to eight. I have a whole list of reasons and excuses. 

I have a heart condition.

I’m on a lot of meds that slow things down. 

I’m tired. 

I’m living in other people’s homes and cooking in other people’s kitchens. 

I’m making poor food choices. 

I’m finding it hard to take time for myself. 

It’s just plain unfair. 

But there is one big reason to lose the weight that overrides all of these things. I need to get another 60 plus years out of this heart and a few kilos now could mean years on the other end. It’s not optional.

This evening we took a sunset walk to the beach to make the most of a break in the wet weather and burn a few extra calories. On the way back we came across a fabulously fit female. Six foot, slim, perfect jogging gear and a thigh gap the size of the Grand Canyon. And there I was in my too tight jeans, jumper and sweaty unwashed hair, huffing and puffing like the little engine that could not. Well, we got overtaken going downhill. Downhill! The one place where having a pram should have been an advantage! Watching those trim legs walk further and further ahead got me down for a minute or two. Then it got me going. 

I have work to do. It’s not fair and it’s not fun but I will do it nonetheless. There is a big chunk of my own determination in my daughter and today she reminded me to find it again. 

I’d love to know, what is it that motivates you to do the things you like the least?