Predictable

Sounds like a bad thing, doesn't it? And yet, in a world where it seems that everything changes constantly, it occurred to me that "predictable" is a little comforting--at least sometimes.
 
What is predictable?
 
That if I sit in a certain corner of my couch, I will, despite my best intentions, fall asleep. (This is now SO predictable that my children interrogate me every time I choose to sit there!)
 
That my kids will stay up too late and be hard to wake up in the morning. I'm not quite sure how they can't see the craziness of this predictable pattern, but at least I know what I'm dealing with every day!
 
That there will be pasta made for at least one meal a day in my house. The kids lobby for it, and it's easy to make--even on auto-pilot on those days when the kids are hard to wake in the morning. Which is (predictably!) every day.
 
That there will be a talk about the week's logistics every Sunday and many talks about summer camp every spring. It doesn't mean that the decisions all get made or that the weeks and summers run without a hitch, but at least I can count on having the conversations!
 
That work will end early on the days I don't need it to and late on the days I do.
 
It would be easy to think of "predictable" as negative--boring, uninspired, unoriginal. What I am learning, however, is how very comforting it is to have a handful of things that I can predict. Whether it's work (after a time when whether I'd even HAVE work was unpredictable), or home dynamics (because in a household of five, things tend to change CONSTANTLY), "predictable" means that I can plan, at least a little. "Predictable" means that, at least some of the time, life is not a complete guessing game. "Predictable" means that I know what to expect (good and bad). I may not always like the outcomes, but at least I know enough about how things will work that I have a chance to influence those outcomes.
 
For me, "predictable" is not a dirty word. Rather, it is like the pillow that I sleep on every night or the breakfast I eat each morning. A little "predictable" gives a lot of much needed shape to my days and much needed comfort in a chaotic life. 

So, the next time you're accused of being predictable, say "thank you." You just might be doing yourself and others a huge favor.