My husband James usually bikes the kids into school. If he can’t, I usually drive them. This morning however he asked, “Would you like to bike with them?” The dreaded bike ride.
The real answer was, “No.”
But the good mom in me wanted to say, “Okay I’m willing.”
It’s not that I don’t enjoy biking with the kids. The real issue is that I don’t have make up on and I’m wearing my glasses. Glasses + bike helmet + no make up = mom who feels like a geek.
For a few minutes leading up to the bike ride, I felt grumpy. Like I had been talked into something. Like I had been de-railed from my “perfect” morning which was planned in my mind.
But as I rode with my kids to school, I ended up having a lot of fun. Seeing Noelle smiling brightly, riding her pink bicycle behind me. Having Ethan whiz in front of me and make jokes.
Plus I made it to school and back only seeing one mom that I knew! I just put a big smile on my face because I figured a smile would override my geeky look and give me confidence.
My dreaded morning bike ride to school actually was an unexpected source of joy. I thought of that story in the Bible about the son who tells his father he’ll go to work but ends up not going. Then there’s another son who says he doesn’t want to go, but he ends up showing up and working.
Sometimes we may say “no” in our hearts to something we know would be good for us. Reading a book to a child. Giving a hug to a spouse. Bringing a cup of coffee to a co-worker. But then, we reconsider and end up doing the good deed.
Even in those moments when you start out kicking and screaming, with a small but important attitude adjustment along the way, you may end up having…fun.
