Summer is officially over.
School has started.
Now the landscape is filled
with yellow buses and
cool backpacks
and musty old textbooks.
I remember the torn feelings
that I had when my kids
started school.
I struggled with trying to
fill the list of required items-
the three of them all needing
crayons and glue
and scissors and notebooks
and gym shoes and lunch money
and new sweaters and jeans.
Yet, the peace and quiet that
filled the house
after the magic bus kicked up
it's final dust trail,
was absolutely priceless.
My ears rested.
My feet rested.
My brain went into sleep mode.
All of a sudden, I was a woman again.
Not a mom, or nurse,
or cook, or referee.
Just me.
Alone.
With eight hours of perfect peace
that I could squander if I chose to.
My favorite thing to do
was sit in front of the open window
with a cup of hot coffee.
The morning air was crisp and cool
and the dew lay on the grass
like glitter gone wild.
I watched the birds
and the clouds
and admired the shape of the trees
and the smell of the breeze.
I finally had the chance
to see again.
-Without three little heads
bobbing up and down in front of me-
or three voices shouting loudly-
or three hungry mouths gaping open
or three bored children moaning...
Don't get me wrong.
I love my children.
It's just that even a seasoned mother
needs that special time apart.
She needs to breathe
and dream
and be selfish for a little while.
Now days, every morning is quiet.
I drink my coffee by the open window
and admire the gifts of nature.
And sometimes-
I wish there were crayons
and cookies
and cartoons
and competition
and confusion
to clutter up my life again.
Well- on second thought-
maybe not!
