As soon as the stick punctured R’s calf, I knew it would be a long night. The kids were happily skipping along a side street in Woodley Park en route to an evening of ice cream with my partner and his two children, when BOOM!, our plan was foiled by an ill-placed dead branch. Suddenly, I had a brave 8-year-old with a hunk of wood in his leg. Despite our best efforts, this stick extraction called for professionals.
R at the Doctor
Several hours post-stick-removal and wayyyyy past bedtime, we were safely at home. Popsicles eaten, Tylenol given, and the saline squirter gifted by the doctor was fashioned into an excellent source of older sister torment. It was 10:45 PM. I looked at the overflowing sink of dishes, the huge basket of wrinkled (but clean!) laundry, the trash that needed to go the curb, the wilting plants on the deck, and I said what I often say to myself in these situations: “I’ll get it Together tomorrow.”
Maia’s Kitchen
There is a world where Togetherness could be interpreted as: the dishes must be done, the trash must go out, the laundry must be put away, the inbox must be answered, the lunches must be made, and so on. But I think about this a little differently. While some setbacks require regrouping and relaunching, there are other times when you just gotta murmur, “Don’t worry, you can get it Together tomorrow.”
Upon reflection, I realized I apply “I’ll Get it Together _______” (fill in your own whenever here) in a few circumstances:
- When it’s late in the day or I’m incredibly tired
- When the blowup has truly eaten up the rest of my day
- When bumping stuff won’t impact other people
- When I’m anticipating a stressful event
- When I’m returning from a vacation
Other moments, I’ll tell myself, “I’ll Get it Together by 3 PM” or “I’ll Get it Together in 30 minutes,” or – as in the case of last night—“I’ll Get it Together tomorrow.”
And so I made myself a tuna melt, put on an episode of Schitt’s Creek, and called it a night. The dishes could wait.
Maia’s Tuna Melt
How do you decide when to Get it Together tomorrow?
PS My kid is fine! Kids are hardy!
