The Nature of the Beast

“It’s the nature of the beast,” I wrote to Anita in one of our many chats: things pile up in the worst possible ways.

The end of the quarter looms a week away – grades are due, finals given, frantic make-up assignments might possibly be turned in by desperate students and/or more anxious parents. The yearbook, one of my advisory duties, is due tomorrow – ads need to be polished, pages reviewed, lists double and triple-checked, pictures counted and words edited. I might have a child that is not wanting to turn in (let alone DO) his homework (it’s stupid, you know) – assignment sheets must be checked, projects supervised and motivation offered. I’m the sponsor of the 8^th Grade class – graduation must be planned, tributes written, gowns and flowers ordered and class trips planned. It’s spring – students shrug off assignments previously easily completed, drama happens from the slightest thing, and end of the year projects and trips are suddenly imminent. I’m a writer – I need to meet deadlines, post blogs, write stories and put thoughts into order.

Besides being simply a long list, we have to complete everything well, correctly, on-time and with a smile on our faces. Is that even possible?

It’s the nature of the beast that when life gets crazy in one area, it’s a certainty that it’ll spin out of control like the Gravity Max, Full Throttle or Sky Scream (great names for crazy roller coasters found at www.coasterguy.wordpress.com

It’s the nature of the beast – life runs out of control like a crazy roller coaster!
(credit to coasterguy.wordpress.com for great pic)

This is all true for caregiving and parenthood, teaching and doctoring, musicians and authors. Life gets crazy. It zooms up and down and then flies around in circles, forwards and backwards. Events spin upside down and right-side up so fast it’s hard to tell which way is actually correct!

Just like a roller-coaster, once locked in, we have to finish the ride! Getting off is not really an option.

So what do I do? My heart rate increases while my sleep decreases. My worry rises as my exercise takes a back-seat to deadlines. The pile-up can drive me crazy!

Or.

I can take one thing at a time. Make a list. Ask for help. Communicate my needs. Scream as needed. Laugh often. I can hang on while realizing that the ride will end. Everyone might not be glad they were on the ride, but lessons will be learned, goals accomplished, and relationships cemented.