"I'll have two eggs scrambled and a side of life smothered with expectations - please..."

You must get 8 hours of sleep each night.
Be sure to eat 5 servings of leafy green vegetables everyday.
You need to be sure you have your highlights refreshed every 4 to 6 weeks.
Your BMI must be in the range of 18-24.
A complete wardrobe purchase will be necessary every 3 months to keep up with the current fashions.
Kids must know how to count to 20, know their ABC's and how to tie their shoes before preschool.
I could go on and on and on... but I trust you get my point.

Where did all these high expectations come from? How in the world is one person supposed to achieve and more importantly maintain all of these things in one lifetime?

These are the random thoughts that ran through my head at 4:43 a.m. when a child-falling-out-of-bed-sound woke me from my dream-filled slumber...

Why do we have such high expectations for ourselves, and for others for that matter?
Who made these rules?

Are you truly a failure if you don't have your dream home by age 36?
If you don't wear a size 4 jean, should that define your ability?
Isn't life too precious and short to let these societal and self-imposed pressures control the way we live?

(It's no wonder we need meds or some other form of coping mechanism.)

I think we all need to practice a little grace... for others as well as ourselves.

Give yourselves a break... a little wiggle room on all of these ridiculous expectations...
Offer a little understanding for others that might not live up to the expectations you have set for them...

Go ahead... let those clean clothes sit in the laundry basket for one more day! Go outside and sit in the sun for a minute; take that time to refocus on what is truly important in this life...

peace out.
mem

Note to readers: I did not have time to properly proof this, as I am taking a morning to spontaneously drive 33 miles to have a Starbucks with my friend! Life is short... the laundry can wait!