Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist.
Yesterday I snuck away to the movies.
By
My
Self.
It was a glorious “Heavens Open and sing the Gloria” moment with my long black when I realised that I could possibly have the whole cinema to myself. My son was at school, my daughter in a pre-kindy program and I revelled in the rebellion of it all.
As the movie unfolded I sat back in my chair ready for a visual inspiration feast. Hoping to walk out of the cinemas full of energy and strength to face another week. However, as the movie continued on, I realised that something in me had shifted and maybe the optimism of my youth had begun to fade.
I watched the movie asking when Wonder Woman was going to remove her cape, sit down in a chair and make herself a long cup of “calm the farm” right down?
I breathed deeply and realised that twenty seventeen had not gone to plan and watching Wonder Woman kick men in the head was not the self-care, this Mumma needed. I also realised that I was like Wonder Woman in a season just past and I thought I could save the world.
Man, I would have been even happy with my neighbour. (Except he’s a Navy sailor who thinks that revving his car at 3 am in our driveway is a helpful elixir for sleep for this family of four. I’m going to need a whole lot of grace and patience to pass him homemade biscuits this Christmas over our fence).
Recently my friend sent me this quote, on a day I wasn’t really feeling that “quotey”
Inside every cynical person, there is a disapointed idealist.
I think if I had have watched “Wonder Woman” even a year ago, I would have stood up in the cinema and cheered her on, for her strength and fortitude. But this battle-weary soul breathed deeply and sighed at the relief that the war was over for today and I walked back into my 4.30 house battle ready to take on another day with a two-nageer and little wannabe pilot.
My truth is this, everyday people struggle to find sense in the moments of life that make no sense. Every idealist who is looking for some meaning and purpose in the battle of today is seeking out the opportunity to breathe deeply for tomorrow.
And yes, every day our culture is telling us we need to be Wonder Woman, taking down the baddies and saving the world from the evil that exists. But honestly, if we could just love those closest to us and find the time to love ourselves a little more I think the world would be in a much less state of crisis.
I’m learning in the midst of the battle to be less like Wonder Woman and more like my Nanna, breathing deeply into my cup of tea, hugging my son and daughter a little longer than is comfortable and telling myself that “I am doing okay”.
This Wonder Woman is retiring from the pressure to “Save the whole world business” and is reminding herself that living a quiet life, smiling at the Sailors next door (even though they drive me crazy) and waving at the old lady across the street is one of the greatest gifts that I can bring to my little patch.
How about you?
Does Wonder Woman need to take off her cape and give herself a day off in your household?
Me too.
XXOO
Amanda
“And yes, every day our culture is telling us we need to be Wonder Woman, taking down the baddies and saving the world from the evil that exists. But honestly, if we could just love those closest to us and find the time to love ourselves a little more I think the world would be in a much less state of crisis”.
Significance too is measured in the unseen and the uncelebrated, I’m not only ok with this but this is my arena.
I know without any doubt that I was placed on this earth to see the unseen things and respond as Jesus would, but here’s the thing, I find it so difficult to silence the voices in this culture (particular the non-secular culture) that make me feel like my life lacks significance unless I leave a culturally quantifiable legacy or impact in my sphere of influence.
I experience and crave deep connections that illicit measurable change in the lives of people I encounter in the quiet moments, the dull or in the inbetween times, yet nobody knows my story, what fills my days, my prayers, thoughts or where most of my energy goes because it’s mostly unseen.
And it is in these places that I am deeply filled, continually moved to sacrificially live a life of impact, yet culture and society continue ask me “what do you do, who are you, or what is your purpose?”, ? yet Jesus was less concerned about what others thought of him, and more of what the Father thought of him.
For all the good (and I truly believe this) that comes out of the cultural message about what we should be aspiring to, sometimes I wish that every now and again everyone would take a day off from being Wonder Woman, pause and look around and realise that sometimes it is the smallest of things, the things that society doesn’t celebrate can be the most meaningful. There is entire world of beauty to be found in the margins.
And when Wonder Woman takes off her cloak, does she then discover how very, very tired she is?
Here’s to being more Nanna’s complete with the hot cup of tea! xx