The Flow of the Matter

Go with the flow.  It is an expression that is easily understood and used by many.  It is defined as following the path that has already been made and just following the direction of least resistance.  It's like taking an inner tube to a moderately paced river, climbing in, and allowing the current to take you where it will.  But before you can just go with the flow, you have to find it.  How can you follow the current if you're not even in the water?

I'm learning a lot about that right now.  That book I'm focused on, The House That Cleans Itself: Creative Solutions for a Clean and Orderly House in Less Time than You can Imagine, starts out by helping me determine the flow of my house.  When I enter a room, where do I go?  What patterns have I established?  What debris do I leave in my wake? And not only myself, but it has me focus on my entire family's habits.

All I have to do to see a flow in the family room right now is to observe the evidence left by Gabriela, who just went down for a nap.  She awoke early as usual and sat down and played in here while I got her brother and sister ready for school.  First, she sat in the middle of the room where I sat her down with her bottle, now emptied and dropped right where she finished it.  Next she crawled near her exersaucer where I see a little yellow plastic bowl surrounded by star cereal where she dumped it out.  Afterward, she wandered over her swing where she decided to pull out a couple of baby wipes to let me know she needed a diaper change.  And finally, there is a little trail of toys where she played dutifully for a bit next to her daddy's chair.  She left a trail in her wake, and I am left to observe and to clean it up.

What does all this say about my precious one year old?  She likes to be on the move.  When she is done with something, she sets it down and doesn't think twice about it.  She picks out what she wants of her food and leaves the rest behind.  When she has a need and she can use objects to express that need, she will.  She feels safe playing beside her daddy.  She wanders about, holding on to the objects of her affection, and dropping them when she sees something more tantalizing.

That got me to thinking.  I go through the rooms, or periods of life, and leave something there.  What does that that mark say about me?  What impression do I leave on those around me or with those who follow behind?  How do I express myself to those around me?  Do I attempt to express that which is most important?  Do they fathom what I am trying to convey to them?  Do I leave behind evidence of security with where I have been or am I so fretful that I don't enjoy the life that I have?

This is especially important in regards to my children.  Do they see that I take the risk and jump into the water with an inner tube and enjoy the flow of life or do they see me sitting on the sidelines too fretful to enjoy the scenery around me?  I'm taking off my shoes and theirs, and bringing them with me on an adventure, because the water is refreshing and there is so much to see!