Santa's "Clean Plate Club?"

Another thing that I'm (STILL) learning is "how much can I put on my plate in a day?" I DO remember from last year that, if I had something happening in the morning, I MIGHT have done something that evening, but the afternoon had been reserved for a long nap beforehand. ... oh, BOTHER ....

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do. ~Edward Everett Hale

Guess that's what I'm learning ... good quote, but there are SOME things I have to refuse. And I WANT TO DO IT ALL! But ... see above ... I cannot do everything.

Why do I have such a hard time with that? I remember as a small child that my Mother took me to see Santa Claus at Christmastime. After sitting on his lap and telling him of all the wonderful toys I wanted to get, he asked me if I "cleaned my plate" every dinnertime. Of course, I told him 'Yes!' As a reward, I got a Santa button pin with a little jingle bell on a red ribbon, and that made me an official member of the Clean Plate Club! Maybe I'm still trying to "clean my plate."

Sometimes I wrestle and struggle with this. Enter varying degrees of denial, control ... I MUST look at balance! I know I already have many of the "answers" ... set small goals, reevaluate expectations, 'choice' versus 'can't' ... hmmm. Balance. Acceptance. Somehow I feel that I'll be learning this for a long time. In the meantime, I'll eat all of my dinner ... I AM a member of Santa's Clean Plate Club, you know.