Dear Kitty,
“Put the CD on number 4”
“Turn the air colder.”
“I’m too cold.”
“He’s touching me!”
“She licked me. Eww!”
“Will you open my drink?”
“I dropped Mr. Teddy!!”
“He touched me again!!”
“HELP Mommy!!”
“Are we there yet?”
“I want song number 2”
“She’s on my side!!”
“Here mom, catch this!”
“Can you feel me kicking the seat to the beat?”
“Touching again!!”
Through gritted teeth and my voice vibrating with each pound of the River Dance on the back of my seat, I repeat, “I can’t look. I’m driving and can’t take my eyes from the road.”
Somehow my senses are so fine tuned, I know to dodge the juice box as it sails by my ear as I change the tunes and reach behind my seat to rescue Mr. Teddy. My cell begins to croon out the song signaling my husband’s call. My eyes drift for just a moment from the road as I reach for it. I look back up just in time to not drift over in front of the oncoming traffic.
It’s a balance I’ve learned. The balance of trying to deal with all the distractions around me and stay safely on course. I have no doubt that the kids do need my attention, but I have to make sure my priorities benefit all of us.
_______________
I’m sure you would agree that life is full of distractions. Some that are important, some we need to handle as soon as safely possible and some are just meant to take us from our path. But we’ve learned that every single one can cause us to swerve on our journey and could likely put us in a collision.
That moment we lose focus is a moment that could destroy us and those around us.
You see if I lose focus and veer off, I also could radically change those other lives in my car. Likewise, in this life I am not really alone in my choices, but others are affected. People who depend on me whether through business, family or friendships. It’s never just me who must suffer a bad choice.
Each of us are on an individual direction that requires our focus towards our purpose. Distractions, both welcome and unwelcome, bombard us daily as we just try to keep our eyes on our path. Our only responsibility is to continue moving forward and never take our eyes off the road. There will be turns that are sharper than you expected, flat tires, running out of gas, stop lights that seem to last forever and the occasional juice box thrown at your ear.
No matter the detour, keep pressing the gas.
The only way to ever get somewhere, is to keep your focus and energy moving forward.
Categories: june 2013 diary entry
Alycia Neighbours 
This reminds me of teaching Punkin to ride her bike today….Everytime I let go she would quit pedaling and BAIL. “If you’d only kept pedaling & not given up, you’d have been fine” We have to keep pedaling.