More Things I Don't Do...

A few years ago, spurred on by Shauna Niequist, I set about participating in the incredibly liberating practice of creating a list of Things I Don’t Do.  It was wonderful and empowering and all around freeing to say aloud the things I refuse to succumb to the “do this too” pressure.  As I find myself in a new season of life and weather I’ve been ticking off a few more things to add to the list.  I don’t know about you, but new school years and new seasons have me feeling the weight of DO ALL THE THINGS!!!  And also, this back to school time of year tricks me into thinking I need to reinvent myself, become more, better, bigger.  That this year is the year that I am finally all the things that I’m really not.  And so, here are a few more things I don’t do.  As always, if they are things that you do, bless you for it.  There is no judgment from me and I hope no judgment from you for my slacking.  I’ll probably solicit you to do them for me.

I don’t grow gardens, can vegetables, or make preserves or apple butter from scratch that I can save for the winter months.  I don’t actually know what apple butter is.  I am in awe of those of you who can do this.  Absolute, one-hundred-percent awe.  But seeing as my mom asked me to water her tomato plants while she was out of town for two days and the whole garden operation came tumbling down and my mom is still complaining about the poor crop she got this year, I’m ready to throw in the green thumb towel.  I would love to be able to walk into my backyard, hand pick all the produce necessary for a delicious salad and then serve it for dinner that night.  But I want someone else to do all the work to make that little scenario possible.  Same with being able to go to my pantry in four months and pull out a can of something that I grew myself when the sun was still warm and the green grass grew all around.  Alas, I’ve given up this dream and I feel ten pounds lighter saying it aloud.

I don’t do arts and crafts with my kids.  I’m not crafty.  I loathe glitter and pipe cleaners and glue.  I’ll read Go Dog, Go ‘til I’m blue in the face, will have one million tickle fights and will even sing the itsy bitsy spider (though that’s pushing it) before I get crafty with my kids.  I’m probably ruining Toots' and Monster’s creative potential, but judging by what they bring home from school and the gym kids program there may not be all that much there to begin with.  I just don’t have it in me.

I don’t do bento boxes or artistic lunches.  Monster may feel bad one day when his turkey sandwich, grapes and pretzels are haphazardly tossed in Tupperware while the kid next to him is munching on a lunch that would make the sous chef at a five star restaurant squeal with delight, but I’m not going to feel too bad about it.  I hate making lunches, so I’m going to call it a win that he has something in his monkey lunch box at all.

I also don’t get too perfectionist about Monster’s homework.  I want to.  His “Student of the Week” poster went back to school today looking like a three-year-old put it together and there was a small part of me that wanted to fix it all.  But then I remembered that a three year old did put it together and that three year old is pretty dang proud of his work.  Upside-down pictures and all.

What don’t YOU do?  What freeing things have you stopped doing for the greater good that I, too, can give up?