Yesterday I asked CJ to watch Jack while I folded the laundry. I shut my bedroom door and turned on the tv. All CJ had to do was make sure the little guy stayed out of trouble for no more than ten minutes. For reference, the laundry is outside of my bedroom door. I was not far away but preferred a contained Jack, as one of his favorite things to do is unfold laundry.

You would think this would be a rather simple task for an eight year old. Yet, only three minutes into folding my laundry I hear a crash. I run into my bedroom to find CJ holding my broken full length mirror up in one hand (the glass had not broken, just the frame) and his iPad in the other. I find Jack behind the mirror having the time of his life.

As you might have guessed CJ wasn’t watching Jack. After two straight minutes of me screaming like a lunatic and taking away all the electronic joys from his life FOREVER, he fully admitted to it. Was I mad the mirror was broken? Yes. I was more upset that he wasn’t watching Jack though. Things could have ended far worse and his task was a simple one.

I took the mirror from CJ and banished him to his room, with permission to leave only when we were going outside for some fresh air. I stood there looking at this crooked mirror resting on the floor and really took a minute to look at the person staring back at me. I knew then this broken mirror had become a metaphor for my life.

Here is the way I see it. When dad died, I became the broken mirror. I fell and I broke but I didn’t shatter. After the fall, my friends and family were there to pick me up and make sure I was okay. As I was waiting to heal along came COVID and a fall that busted my knee. I made it through, but barely on my own two feet. I am still healing, and leaning on those around me for support.

One might look at that mirror and tell me it can’t be fixed. I know what needs to be done and if it costs me triple the amount of money I paid for it, I will fix that mirror. It will be sturdier and more magnificent than it was before. I am sure it won’t be as easy as I hope, and I will surely need some guidance, but it will get done. Right now though, that crooked mirror is doing its job. When I am ready, it will be fixed. It may not be perfect but i think perfection is overrated.

CJ learned many life lessons yesterday after my mirror fell. He also learned some new colorful words. Had it not fallen though, I would have not truly seen my broken self and all that’s left for me to heal. Life will always try and knock us down but the comeback should always be a great one.

I got this!

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