Saying Yes

Written by Jonah Lisa

As a mother and wife, I am asked so many questions each and every day that life can sometimes feel like a long string of NOs.

Can we finger paint?

Will you bake us a cake? 

Can I have a lollipop? 

Do you want to go for a walk? 

Can we go to the park? 

Will you read me another book? 

Will you play soccer with me? 

Can we go swimming? 

Did you call the insurance guy? 

Will you play Candy Land with me? 

Will you play Candy Land with me again? 

Water Balloons!

I try to say yes as often as possible but children arenʼt known for their impeccable timing. For that matter, neither are husbands. And with all the absolutely necessary daily and weekly tasks, making room for YES can become a challenge.

Yes takes time. Yes takes patience. Yes can be messy. And loud.

So Iʼm trying something new with my family. On Sundays, Iʼm trying to make a place for YES.

Getting into the right frame of mind is the first step. I remind myself Sunday morning of the kind of day I really want to have. Unplugging from screen and information overload is wonderful but I donʼt simply want an unplugged day, I want a day full of something better.

I want a day full of YES!

Can we build a fire in the firepit? YES! 

Can we have blueberry pie for dessert? YES! 

Can we camp out in the yard tonight? YES! 

I want a day with the time, energy and fortitude to do the things I may be too tired, or busy, or scheduled or just not prepared to do during the week. I want a day of being fully present with my husband and kids. And an Unplugged Sunday is really the perfect day to do it.

Hereʼs the little secret to making this work...do not share your plans with the rest of your family. Chances are, if you tell them ahead of time that youʼre going say yes all day, youʼll end up eating ice cream for dinner with a table full of naked people. At least thatʼs what would happen at my house.

Just set your intention, be open and prepared for whatever they bring to you, and let things unfold naturally. Iʼve found that it takes the stink off of No throughout the weeks in the middle, too. And if nothing else, itʼs a fun experiment to try out every once in while when morale is low.