A Certified Control Freak

I'll admit it... I'm a bit of a control freak.

I'm sure we are all sick of anything related to COVID-19 right now, but it's hard to avoid, as it is currently ruling our lives. Our jobs are at risk, our schools are closed and we can't seem to go anywhere that would normally be a peaceful place. So I think it will come as no surprise that this is a big part of why I'm so obsessed with having control over the little things right now, and I'm certain many of you can relate to this feeling.

I've recently been babysitting for the brightest 5-year-old I have ever met. His intelligence is unimaginable, and he gives me a little break from our new reality.

However, this past week, when he and I were drawing together, I drew a unicorn that I had planned on coloring in with pastel pink yellow and blue... as a unicorn should be, right? My 5-year-old friend decided he wanted to assist with my drawing. Originally, I wasn't opposed, but Picasso had some ideas of his own and played around with the color wheel a bit more than I would have done. This was the result...

Now, really... what kind of a crazy person gets angry about how a 5 year old decided to color a unicorn? Well, me. I am that crazy person. Because in a world that is currently FULL of craziness, there are very few things I feel I have control over. The colors I had planned on coloring in my unicorn drawing were just a few of them.

After a while though, It made me think about how my 5-year-old friend must have been feeling in this time.

While the world around me feels like it's imploding, I at least have a basic understanding of what is happening and why. Still, there is a lot going on that is beyond my comprehension, leading to a sense of disarray. Unfortunately, the children in our lives have an even harder time grasping this situation. They aren't sure why they can't go to school to see their teachers and friends. Their sports practices have been cancelled, and they're missing that time outside of the house. Mom and dad are home, but they're stuck in their offices all day and don't have a lot of attention left to pay to them. As tough as it is on me, there are people out there, children or otherwise, who are having a much harder time getting their footing, and rightfully so.

I still have my job and go to school, even though it's all a bit unconventional now. For some, there is a lot more uncertainty. So, in all this mess, I think it's fair for each of us to have our own bit of stress and desire for control, but we must also remember that others are seeking control as well and may be in greater need of it right now. In my unicorn situation, for example, I wasn't thrilled that my drawing ended up in every color of the rainbow. It took a while to come to terms with it. However, I recognized that my 5-year-old friend had a few minutes of control when thinking over the color choice for the drawing, and I'm glad he was able to have a bit of it in the midst of all this chaos... even at my own expense.