You know that place inside you that gives you hope and energy and the will power to get things done? I feel like mine has gone missing…or maybe just on vacation. This last week (despite all the wonderful things that have happened like having family visit) has been tough on me. I’ve just felt tired. Bone tired. I couldn’t get myself motivated to do anything during Elias’ naps. So then I started feeling lazy and unproductive, and that is never good for anyone’s mental state. Nathan said if I was that tired then I needed to rest and I should just listen to my body. He’s probably right, but I still couldn’t help but feel like I should be doing stuff. You know?
On a completely separate note…I read the Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne during this same time period. So I think I’ll try to write about my experience and what I’ve learned about it from the perspective of Pooh Bear in the style of A.A. Milne. Hopefully I’ll not be breaking any copyright laws or anything. I don’t think so…It’s my writing after all…and my experience…just based on the style and characters from someone else’s imagination. If you’ve read it, I hope you see some similarities and don’t think I’m completely crazy. If you haven’t read it…well I still hope you enjoy it and don’t think I’m completely crazy. So here you go:
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Pooh was sitting in his house remembering all the things he had done, and thinking that he should probably be getting out and doing something right this moment. “A pooh bear like me should be rescuing Piglet from a flood or building Eeyore a house of sticks or discovering the north pole,” thought Pooh. (Those were all things he had done recently).
Just then Pooh looked at the clock. It was eleven, and eleven was the time every day for a little something to eat. Pooh got a chair and stood on it to reach his honey pots. As he was reaching, a knock came at the door (which startled him) and he fell to the floor along with a honey pot.
“Pooh?” a voice squeaked?
“Piglet!” said Pooh as he looked down at the spilled honey. “Oh, bother.”
Pooh went to the door to let Piglet in. “What are you doing today, Pooh?”
“I’m not sure, Piglet. I was just thinking about that when the clock struck eleven and I thought I’d have a little something.” (Pooh glanced back at his honey pots. He still hadn’t gotten a little something and now it must have passed eleven). “I think today I just don’t know what to do.”
“I know!” said Piglet. “I’ll go ask Christopher Robin why you can’t figure out what to do. He’ll know!” (Really, Piglet just wanted to see Christopher Robin. He loved when they spent time together. But he was also happy to help his friend, Pooh.)
After Piglet left, Pooh stared at the mess on the floor and thought he should probably be cleaning it up. Or maybe he should be eating it! Or maybe he could even make up a hum about it. But Pooh could not even do that. Pooh was still sitting and thinking about it when Piglet returned with Christopher Robin.
“Oh, hello Christopher Robin,” said Pooh.
“Hallo, Pooh,” he replied. “What’s the matter?”
“Pooh can’t figure out anything to do today,” said Piglet trying to be helpful. Then he peered inside and saw the honey still on the floor, “and he didn’t clean up his honey either!”
Christopher Robin poked his head in, and said, “Pooh, I think you’ve lost your motivation!”
“What’s my mustilation?” asked Pooh.
“Motivation. It’s what helps you do things.” answered Christopher Robin. “You need to find your motivation. Then you’ll have plenty to do.
Later that day, Piglet was still over, when Pooh stood up. “Piglet,” he said, “I’m going to go find my mustilation. Would you like to come with me?”
Piglet and Pooh set off to find Pooh’s mustilation. They decided to start over near Pooh Corner. Eeyore lived down there and it was swampy and damp and if something got lost there, it might not be able to find it’s way home.
“Hallo, Eeyore,” Piglet called, “We’re looking for mustilation”
“Well you don’t have to insult me,” replied Eeyore. “It’s bad enough that no one’s been down to see me for six days come Tuesday.”
Piglet did not know quite how to reply…so he said, “S-s-s-so you haven’t seen any mustilation then?”
“There you go insulting me again,” said Eeyore, and he tromped slowly away.
Pooh and Piglet looked at each other, then Piglet suggested that they try somewhere else.
Pooh and Piglet tromped all around the 100 acre forest looking for his mustilation. They visited Owl who told them all sorts of things about motivation, and none of them seemed to be helpful. Then they visited Kanga and Roo and Tigger who were all too busy with each other to be of much help. Rabbit was off looking for one of his friends-and-relations and was not any help either.
But all this time that Pooh and Piglet were searching, Pooh was thinking too. And the longer he thought, the better he felt. He felt so happy to have a friend like Piglet to come on adventures with. So he decided to go home and make Piglet a present.
As they were returning to Pooh’s house, Christopher Robin passed by. “Hallo, Pooh. Hallo, Piglet,”he said. “What are you doing?”
“We were looking for Pooh’s mustilation,” said Piglet. “I don’t know where he found it. I was with him the whole time. But he seems to have had an idea.”
“Well…” said Pooh. “Actually, Christopher Robin, I think my mustilation was with me the whole time. I didn’t have to find it. It found me!”
“Silly old bear,” said Christopher Robin, and they all went to see what kind of present Pooh was going to make.
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Well anyway, I’m not sure how this story turned out. I honestly got a little tired of writing it so if the ending seems too swift…it probably is.
I guess the point is, I’ve realized that maybe both me and my husband can be right at the same time. Sometimes I do just need a little rest. A little break. But really, I don’t think I have to look for motivation. God has blessed me with certain skills and passions. All I can do is act on those to the best of my ability.