September and June
Mention these two months to any mom and you can actually see her body language change. Simply flip to the pages of the calendar and her whole demeanor takes on a sense of urgency.
Truthfully, as the kids got older, August became the new September. Instead of packing for a day at the beach we engaged in the mad rush to pack for college. In turn, May became the new June. Dance recitals were replaced with end of year awards, AP exams, SATs, ACTs and any other abbreviation of stress you can think of.
This month marks my 20th June as a mom. I think I have finally gotten this down.
Or not. I might just have a false sense of calm tonight and will wake up at 4AM and realize I have not done anything that is expected of me. I mean, the demands on me are no less now than in years past. The camp trunks are still in the attic and they are being picked up in less than a week. I am sure there are missing items and I definitely have not purchased obscene quantities of batteries yet. The health and beauty aisle of my local drugstore is still stocked before my daughter picks out her gallons of product.
Then why do I feel so under control?
I guess there are a few reasons. At 16 and 20 my kids can surely handle plenty of the chores themselves. But I am still running from guidance counselor meetings to testing sites. From Bed,Bath and Beyond to Target. And surely from one doctor's check-up to another. All while trying to get my work done.
Maybe I have finally grown up and stopped letting the calendar chase me down the street in a full-tilt mommy frenzy. (interesting visual, no?)
Seriously! It all gets done. The work, the packing, the events. We can choose to either hyperventilate through it all or try to 'Be Here Now'. I have found myself deliberately moving slower, trying to stop that sense of insanity. To enjoy the tasks, or at least tolerate them better.
And you know what? It works. (but don't peek in my window at 4AM, my perception may change and it won't be a pretty sight!)
Original 50-something Mom Blog Post. Amy also blogs at i could cry but i don't have time and leaving the zip code.
