Forgetfulness is common at every age

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Forgetfulness isn’t just a problem as we get older. It seems to afflict preschoolers too. Today, I am sharing with you a memory I captured when my boys were so very young. I hope you will enjoy stepping back in time with me and that it will make you smile as it did for me.

 

The Funny Story 

Tyler, 5, was lying on the floor with blankets piled on top, surrounded by pillows.

Isaac, 2, was running around the house—zooming here, zooming there. He was just a burst of energy on an important mission only he knew about.

“Sweet Pea! Sweet Pea, don’t you know you’re the doctor?” Tyler cried out in exasperation.

Isaac continued to run around the house a few more times before flopping down on the pillows.

Tyler, who was supposed to be some severely injured patient, jumped up excitedly and tied a long, white, crocheted blanket around his shoulders and announced he was a super hero. Isaac, of course, wanted to be a super hero too. He immediately climbed onto the loveseat and jumped off. He was no longer Dr. Sweet Pea but Super Sweet Pea. But where was his super hero cape? A scuffle ensued since he couldn’t use either of his precious blankies for a cape; he needed his brother’s.

“Sweet Pea!” Tyler wailed. “Don’t you know you’re the doctor?”

“How is he supposed to know he’s the doctor if you’re supposed to be the patient and now, you’re the super hero?” I asked.

He gave me an incredulous look like I’d just landed on Earth from some far off galaxy. “Mama, he knows he’s the doctor.” He explained this slowly, punctuating the air with waves of his arms.

“If he knows he’s the doctor, why do you keep yelling, ‘Sweet Pea! Don’t you know you’re the doctor?’”

“Oh, Mama!”

“Oh, Tyler!”

“Stop teasing me.”

“Please clean up this mess.”

“OH! We wanna play!”

“Well, you don’t know what you’re playing!”

“Yes, we do!”

Despite the protests, Tyler cleaned up the living room. A little while later, I heard, “Now, Sweet Pea, you’re the baby puppy, and I’m the Mama puppy. Hey! That’s my blanket!”

 

What I learned

Consequently, I spend most of my day acting as a referee.

Do you see a pattern here? Either nobody knows what is going on, or everybody is suffering from forgetfulness. Now, sometimes, I suffer from forgetfulness—oh, wait now, where was I going with this? Oh, yes . . .

Sometimes we suffer with forgetfulness. If this is the case, it’s best to finish one thing before starting another.

When sidetracked, we need to stop and consider what is going on. If we aren’t headed in the desired direction, we may have to retrace steps, start over, or make a radical turn. Busyness can get us off course. We’re busy, but maybe we aren’t doing anything important, or we’re doing the wrong thing. Sometimes it might be a good thing; it’s just not the right time to do it. For example, we are busy playing when we should be cultivating our minds. Perhaps we are busy trying to acquire more instead of enjoying what we have. Maybe we’re busy reading instead of cleaning or immersing ourselves in what we want and not in what would benefit others. As a result, we can be busy doing all sorts of things—good and bad.

Thus evaluating our schedules to make sure that we are making progress toward certain goals rather than standing still or sitting in a rut is wise. Are we thinking of others or just of ourselves? Evaluations may show that we are right where we want to be, or they may shock us.

 

Conclusion

Speaking of shocks, are super heroes or doctors supposed to streak through the house? I don’t think so. I suppose if you’re two, it is okay since you’re so cute when you are two. However, a mother has to do what a mother has to do: First, evaluate the situation. Second, corner guilty party. Third, gather strength because two-year-olds seem to have super powers when they want their way. Fourth, clothe child. Fifth, suffer with a forgetful moment. What was I doing? Oh yes, restraining a willful streaker. Finally, evaluate situation. Is this where I’m supposed to be in my life?

Yes it is. Sometimes being where we’re supposed to be can be hard, but I take comfort in knowing that one day, I’ll laugh about all this.

This certainly seems to be the case. It feels like it was just yesterday I was wrestling with these super heroes and puppies. I hope you will share a memory with us. It’s always healthy for us to laugh. Have a great week!