WTF Happened to the SOCKS?

There is something to be said for people who wear matching socks.  It means that they probably sort out their laundry, plucking the losers out right away before they get lost forever.  For a very long time, with a houseful of kids, it was my personal quest to make sure that every sock had a match.  If one didn’t, then we would hunt it down like a turkey on Thanksgiving.  If I didn’t find THAT sock, it meant I was a shitty mother and housekeeper and it also meant that the unmatching sock situation would turn epidemic.  Think about it, if one sock doesn’t match  – your kids will wear mismatched socks that will end up in the laundry basket, washing machine and dryer at odd times lessening their chances of every meeting their mate again.  Sounds stupid, but the lesson here is that matching socks USED to be important to me.

Each person in the house had different socks with different colored toes so that they would never get confused.  I rolled them together, unlike my husband who ties them together (how dumb is that?)  I even made a ‘loser’ sock basket for all the unwanted, holey and mismatched socks so they could sit and wait longingly for the day of reunite.  And when that happened, I WAS EXCITED.  Way too excited to be honest. 

As time changes all things, it too has changed my OCD and the socks.  Not completely, as it still secretly bothers me to see my children wear mismatched socks.  But it certainly doesn’t send me over the edge, manically cleaning under the couch cushions to find a stray like it used to do.  So have I conquered my problem or masked it?

Being a mom is about letting go.  However, the one thing you shouldn’t let go of is yourself and normally that is the first thing to go.  I traded writing and other passions for matching socks.  In retrospect, I am still trading things but I do try to make sure that my trade offs are worth it.  So, think about it.  What drives you crazy?  What do you spend endless minutes or hours doing that is mindless and has no stamp of importance in the scope of life?  And even more importantly, what could you be doing during this time that would inspire, fulfill, satisfy and make your life more self abundant? 

Yes, some days just for fun I like to see if I can get all the socks to match.  And when my almost grown children wear yellow and green socks I think they look stupid.  But I have learned to control my urges to control, monitor and micromanage all that stuff that makes so many moms OCD.  And you should too!