When May 1 hits, it seems like it’s “off to the races” everyday! (I used to live near Indianapolis, IN – and the month of May is literally that – a month all about the Indianapolis 500 Race – so I can totally relate…) However, in this case, it’s just the chaos of the season with kids: End of the school year, exams for the kids, wrapping up of sports seasons and banquets, college aged kids coming home, and honestly – just “All The Things”. “All the Things” are GREAT Things – but it’s just A LOT! It can be overwhelming at times for sure! But after the crazy year we’ve all just had, I’m going to embrace the chaos!
I have a graduating High School Senior this year as well – so that adds to the insanity of the month: Attending all the awards banquets, proms, planning graduation parties, senior skip days, senior prank days at school, signing up for dorms for next fall in college, and saving up all the “cha-ching” for said college for the fall…. LOL It’s all overwhelming! It’s such an exciting time in one’s life, something they’ve looked forward to for years. It’s hard sometimes to be “in the moment” with all the hustle and bustle.
Attending all the graduation parties of all the friends and families adds to the busy calendar as well! It is so nice to spend time with friends that your children have grown up with and their families – they are like our extended families. It’s also a time to thank the teachers that have helped our children grow and thrive this year – through this crazy Pandemic via virtual classrooms and all the masks at school when they finally went back live and in person to class!
The community we live in is UBER important these days! It takes a village to raise our children in the current climate of LIFE! We LOVE our neighborhood that we live in and the schools that our children attend! Yes – being a teenager these days is hard. Yes – social media makes life even harder for our children. Yes – they learn about life going to school everyday and learn about disappointments, anxiety of tests, hardships, that “breaking up is hard to do”, and all that comes with living life! But it’s all part of the natural order of things to endure as they are growing up. I want my children to grow up and become self-sufficient, independent, well-adjusted, opinionated, and rationale young adults! It’s amazing to see them grow up before your very eyes. It’s amazing to see the adults who come home for the summer after their first full year away at college. It’s nice to hang out with your kids again. They don’t dislike you quite as much as they did when they were in high school. LOL. They appreciate you as a parent more and the sacrifices that we all make for our children, because they are now having to do more of “All the Things” for themselves now.
I for one just wanted to take a second to relax and soak in the moment. This moment in time will never be here again. I want to embrace the accomplishments of my child. I want to embrace all the hard work that has gone in to raising a wonderful young adult. I want to appreciate my child without any excuses. I want to say that I am PROUD of everything she has been through this year and all the years leading up to her senior year. I know that there are so many wonderful opportunities for my child in the future. I will forever be a proud mother of four children. Each one of them embodying everything that I am.
…and on a lighter note….
May is also the month that I make my annual trip to Hewitt Garden and Design Center in Franklin, TN for my Lantana! I can’t even describe to you how happy these small, little, colorful plants make me. They attract butterflies and grow @ an exponential rate unknown to mankind! I LOVE Lantana. My good friend and neighbor, Kathy introduced me to this lovely little delicacy. She and I and another friend, Jennifer, could spend hours walking around the Design Center on any given Mid-to-Late Day in May trying to figure out what we should purchase on that day. (I also have to say that my soon-to-be-graduate has an aversion to butterflies for some bizarre reason, and that delights me none-the-less as well…) But I digress… Flowers in May are a given – you know the old adage – “April Showers, Bring May Flowers…” In this case – they were absolutely right!
And the last thing, and for some of us will probably be the most important thing, is that May brings us “Mom’s Day”. This year, I whispered in my youngest child’s ear, “the only thing I want for Mother’s Day is one of those Hibachi Grills where we can cook all the fabulous food in our own back yard”. Guess what – IT happened! I got my “secret” wish. LOL! I have a daughter who is Vegan, so having her “own space” on a grill is very important as well. I’m ecstatic this year! Mother’s day may have been a complete wash out (due to the rain locally) otherwise, but I was the happiest mom around…and will continue to be for years to come due to this wonderful gift!
My wish for May is that everyone has had all the “feels” that come with the end of the school year and graduations and etc, and that they can also embrace the moment as they are presented to each individual. I am here to celebrate life and all the accomplishments that we can as we journey through this ever-changing world! Happy May-Days (or May Day, May Day if needed) to us all!
