Well, the school year is almost over. Seriously, in our home, the countdown is on, and I'm so ready for the end-of-year parties to start. I've calculated, from today until the end of the term, I have 66 lunches to make, countless loads of laundry (no point even counting because it never ends) and approximately 46 round trips from home to school. This doesn't include the three days a week my son needs to be at school at 7 a.m. for basketball and volleyball practices. If I were to include those, that would mean my round trips to school would be more like 61 and that just seems like a lot and I, like many other parents, feel like I'm being shifted to auto-pilot.
This morning was one of those early morning volleyball practices that my son needed to get to. I actually love these mornings because it means just the two of us and the early morning routine. We operate like a well-oiled machine, all in an effort to get him to the practice on time. As I was driving him, I was quietly making my calculations as I thought of the end of the year. I was wondering what I could do to "spice up" lunches and not allow myself to fall into the "lazy" or "unhealthy" category. I was pondering the back and forth car rides and if my auto-pilot light was switched on. Although I enjoy the early mornings with him, I was/am tired and I'm ready for the lazy summer days that are within reach.
I know many parents know what I'm talking about ... Taxi Mum and Taxi Dad. Constantly going from one thing to the other. I have come to understand and appreciate why my parents chose to raise us in small town Saskatchewan. We could walk everywhere, the to and fro for our parents looked very different than mine.
As we approached the school, I could tell my son was getting excited. He loves both volleyball and basketball and he loves learning new skills. He sat beside me in the front seat (he's just recently graduated to the front which is exciting), full of confidence and ready to face the day. He had his school bag firmly in his hand and his lunch in the other. His gym clothes were on and his uniform neatly tucked in another bag that he was managing. As we reached the front door of the school and he made his way out of the car, he turned to me and said, "Thanks for driving me Mum, thanks for getting up and making sure I get here. It's really nice of you."
With that, my heart melted and every calculation I made seemed to melt away. Did he sense my thought pattern? Did he notice the fatigue through our conversation? I wonder what prompted him to graciously thank me, this morning, for something I've done week after week after week? I looked at him, with wonder and love in my eyes and heart and replied, "My darling boy, I would wake at any hour and drive you anywhere. I'm so proud of who you are and thank you for saying thank you. It means a lot." With that he gave me his signature smile, a smile that has captivated me for 11 years.
So friends, like many of you, there is one more month of school left and I'm reminded that "it's not how you start, rather it's how you finish." I'm choosing to finish strong, I'm turning the auto-pilot off and weaved between work and every other demand on life right now, I choose to remain a strong Lunch Lady and Taxi Mum.
To all the other parents out there ... good luck and enjoy these last days before we launch into summer.
(Join me every weekday morning for GetRealLive Radio 9:30-10:30 a.m., Live talk-back radio. We'd love to host you. Visit getreallive.com for the link)
Susan
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getreallive.com
