Tara’s Takes
It’s here — actually it’s half over already. Maycember. All the chaos of December but without the presents. Well kind of, Mother’s Day falls in May so I got that going for me.
I’m pretty sure this has been one of the worst Maycembers ever, and we still have half to go.
I’ve watched many spring soccer games in weather too cold for soccer. Natalie has attended many practices. Ben and Natalie have coached practices and games.
We had the Marshall FFA Banquet.
Ben went to Nashville for BPA Nationals.
Natalie had her final concert at Holy Redeemer school as well as her last track and field day.
This week, we had Ben’s final band Pops concert Tuesday, MHS scholarship night Wednesday, final choir Pops concert Thursday and baccalaureate mass on Sunday.
I know there is more soccer on Saturday. Both kids are at soccer as I type this column. I’m pretty sure there is an amateur game in there somewhere.
Brady moves home this week.
This is half way through the month. We still have last day of school for both kids, graduations for both kids, many, many grad parties to attend and a couple soccer tournaments. There is more, I just don’t have my calendar handy.
And for parents, there is also our job. We’ve been insanely busy, as May always is. But this year we are navigating May with three more papers and a few unexpected hiccups.
So this Maycember has seemed the worst by far. But as I tried to mentally go through my to do list while driving to Lake Benton on Monday, I realized the worst part about it is me.
Right now that to-do list is so long that I’m focused on that and not focused on the events I’m attending. I’m treating them like things that need to be checked off my list instead of taking them in.
Tuesday night when Ben played his last song as part of the MHS concert band, Natalie looked at me and said, “Well that was his last song ever. You’ll never hear him play here again.”
It grounded me because after the applause ended, I was already mentally preparing for getting home and to the list of work things I was going to try to accomplish before bed. I wasn’t taking in the last time I’d ever hear him play in that theater.
Now, I’ll listen to him sing on Thursday and Natalie will be performing in that theater starting this fall, so I’ll be back in there.
But the circumstance will be different.
I think every May will be busy because that’s our industry. And as long as I have kids, there will be activities. But for the second half of Maycember, I’m going to try and shift my focus from checking events off to being present at the events. I know there ARE a million things I should be doing but at that moment, that event should take precedent.
Here’s hoping the rest of May, I’m able to keep those priorities.
