What is wrong with us?

Yesterday morning I was standing at the kitchen sink trying to get the breakfast dishes washed before lunch time, and I was thinking...

about Mr 9 yo who was ready to start school but waiting on his sister (so I only had to explain the math one time...)

about Ms 6 you who was somewhere in the house instead of at her seat with her handwriting

about Mr 4 yo who had asked me twice already to help him get dressed and get his teeth brushed

and I was feeling guilty and rushed and frustrated again. And then I had a thought.

Why is it such a bad thing that I can only do one thing (maybe two, sometimes) at a time? Did God really design us to be able to accomplish all of those things listed above at the exact same time, in perfect harmony?

I also thought about a conversation I had had with a friend the day before along those same lines. She is frustrated, too, because no matter how much she tries to schedule, she still can only do so much at one time, and it never seems to be enough. She said, "I wish I could sit down with a cup of tea in the afternoon and feel good about it."

And why can't she??? What is so wrong with our society that we have to feel guilty for sitting down with a cup of tea once in awhile and relaxing? Why must we feel this constant pressure to do more? Why do we feel like failures if we don't accomplish everything on our "to do" list at the end of each day, in addition to having all the kids taught and fed and happily tucked in their beds?

I had another mom today voice the same frustration. She said that no matter how hard she tries, she just can't get it all done. SO WHAT? Why is this such a big deal?

Does God really expect us to be working like fiends every day and feeling so frustrated about not being able to do four things at one time? What if we just did one or two things at a time and did them with love? with that attention to detail that we can imagine the Blessed Mother having in all of her work?

Now there's an image...Mary with her veils flapping around as she frantically tries to multi-task. Sorry, but I just can't imagine that one!

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I must go now and cook dinner and tend to the other things that I haven't accomplished yet today....

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!