It all matters.

All of it.

The diapers. The trips to the potty. (Oh, the never-ending trips to the potty…) The nights of interrupted sleep. The patience mustered while dealing with three fussy children at Target.

It is all worth it.

I was struggling today. Really struggling. We were out of diapers. And toilet paper. You know the drill: finding yourself in straits so dire, you are willing to venture out sans makeup with three monkeys in tow, because the only viable alternatives include soliciting the services of paper towels and/or leaves from the back yard. 😉

We got to Target. It was late morning, because I had to wait until Tink (Cecily) was up from nap #1, which meant that Boo (Charlotte) was already starting to approach that I’m-on-the-brink-of-melting-down mark that always seems to hit just in time for me to finally get my act in gear to get us all out the door.

So we’re picking out dishwasher detergent – one lowly box of Cascade – and the screaming commences. From all three.

J: “I’m hungry!”
Boo: “I hurt my-SAY-ulf!” (So said with a darling little Southern drawl she’s picked up of late.)
Tink: “Waaaaaaaah!”

We had driven 20 minutes across the river to Target expressly because I had beaucoup store-specific coupons to use there. Guess what decided to retreat into the abyss of the diaper bag just in time for us to hightail it to the checkout line, forcing me to dump everything out in front of Lord-knows-who in an attempt to retrieve them? Yup. I nearly cried when I finally found them. It was $11 worth by the time it was all said and done!

Needless to say, I was frazzled and totally spent by the time I got everyone safely deposited in their car seats. (Miraculously, they all stopped crying the second the prying eyes of the public weren’t upon them. How typical is that?) As I was putting my key into the ignition, I noticed a CD that had migrated to the floorboard of the van, and I decided to pop it in as a much-needed method of distraction.

And, oh, the waterworks.

Surely we’ve all heard “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts. Look it up today, if you haven’t. It is a rite of passage for every parent, listening to that song as tears cascade down your cheeks. I had made that little CD for Jack as a baby because he loved that song and wanted to listen to it again and again and again. And today, on this day when I needed it most, a Gentle Hand placed it just where I could find it, so that song and its poignant lyrics could come to call on this mama who needed more than anything at just that moment to be reminded of how immense my love is for my children.

Life is so good – even when it includes contending with three screamin’ mimis in the cleaning aisle at Tar-jay.

Don’t forget your green tomorrow!