I was sitting there, minding my own business (actually minding my own feet as I was getting a pedicure), when a conversation with a young Mom of four started as she walked by the salon door.
She simply couldn't imagine that any Mom could get a pedicure on a Tuesday afternoon. You see, she was picking up an extra child, while I had none tugging at my leg. (Thank goodness, as that can sure make a pedicure a lot more difficult to execute.) My children are all in school, which has now opened a few more hours in my week. It has been over 18 years since I first became a Mom, and finally the time has come for a mid-week, no real good reason, no I'm not going to Mexico, kind of pedicure.
So my response to her was "Don't hate it cuz you ain't it." Not the most eloquent use of the English language but the point was made and we laughed. It made me think about all the young Moms out there with a baby on one hip and a screaming toddler attached to their leg asking for 'just one more candy bag' at the rink canteen. Ladies, I can tell you one thing for sure. Your time will come. I promise.
There will be a time when you look around the rink lobby, only to realize your last little one is now on the ice and there is actually enough change in your pocket left for a cup of coffee. There will also be a time when you won't lose an entire collection of mitts and toques over the course of the winter (you will ALWAYS be looking for the lost sock, though). There will be a time when it will be socially unacceptable to wipe your child's nose for them, let alone their derriere. Most importantly, there will also be a time, when you look back at all those crazy, chaotic years and laugh. It took me 16 years for all my children to be in school full-time. Over those 16 years, there is one thing I know for sure. Each child is different. Each child will challenge you in different ways but each child will eventually grow up. They won't need you quite as much as they did when they were little and that is when your time will come. Little by little, you can sneak in a bit more time for yourself. Reading a whole chapter of Fifty Shades of Grey (if you can stop at one), eating dinner without having to cut up anyone's food, and perhaps even getting a pedicure on a Tuesday afternoon.
Until then, enjoy them while they are young. They are doing the best they can and so are you. So, next time you walk by and see a veteran Mom spending a little time on herself...remember just because her time has come, does not mean yours won't.
