Stretch Armstrong

Stretch Armstrong

I have not blogged for a while, and I really don’t have time to do it now, but I find that I really want the validation that comes from blogging.   My husband says I like to talk, and sometimes I find that I don’t have an audience for all my amazing thoughts and insights, so this blog makes me feel like I have an audience (whether anyone reads it or not.)  I have had so many ideas for posts running around in my head.  Each morning when I am running (literally), my thoughts are also “running.”  And  in order to save my dear husband from too much “yakking” on my part, I turn to this blog. 

So anyway, this morning, as I ran, I started to think about Stretch Armstrong.  (Random-I know.)  Now for those of you too young (or maybe too old) to remember Stretch Armstrong, this was a toy of the late 70’s early 80’s.  Stretch was in the shape of a well-muscled blonde man wearing a pair of swimming trunks.  And as his name implies, his most notable feature was that he could be stretched from his original size (about 15 inches) to four or five feet.  Now, you may wonder why I was thinking about Stretch-and …well…I don’t really know. (Maybe that country song that mentions him had recently played on my ipod.)  I think my little brothers may have owned one of these toys.  However, as I remembered him, I was struck by the similarities between Stretch and myself (and all mothers for that matter.)  No, I’m not a muscled male, I’m fairly “untan,” and I certainly don’t want to be paraded about in my swim suit.  However,  since being a mom I have been “stretched” further than I ever imagined possible (literally-how did my body ever stretch to hold and deliver 6 full-term babies?-and figuratively:  emotionally, mentally, and spiritually- How do I handle a cranky newborn or a moody teenager? What can I do to ensure that my children develop testimonies? What is the best method of toilet training? (Actually-I think I figured that one out-DO NOTHING-they eventually figure it out on their own.) And how can I squeeze 30+ hours of needs, wants, and enjoyment into a 24 hour day?  And as I reflected on my week (particularly last night, when I was simultaneously, ordering graduation announcements, helping a son pack for a band trip, and pressing “play” over and over while critiquing my daughter’s cheer tryout dance-all AFTER the band concert) I realized that I was DOING it!!! My arms and heart and mind CAN stretch, and it is amazing!  Now I don’t always handle everything perfectly, but I am getting “stretched out.”  Just like a new Stretch Armstrong doll, I was a little stiff coming out of the box, a little uptight,  a little “green.”  But this week when my daughter forgot and took my car keys home leaving me stranded at school, I didn’t even get upset.  (I didn’t just not get upset AT her; I really did not even FEEL upset.  Instead I found myself thinking, “It was an honest mistake.  It’s gonna be a pain for HER to have to come back to bring me the keys.”)  And at that moment, I realized that I think I can make it.  I am sorry that my first child had to get the stiff, uptight version of mom. (Luckily he has the most kicked back, resilient personality I know-thank goodness-I don’t think I damaged him too badly.)But with each task, each obstacle, each child, I find myself less stiff, and more “stretchable.”  And even though just like a well-used Stretch Armstrong, I may never get my pre-mom, unstretched “shape” back, that’s ok.  Like Stretch’s last name implies, MY arms (and mind and heart ) are strong enough  to do this, and the stretched out version of me just might be better than the “fresh out of the box” version.