My kids school opening has been delayed until September 11 due to unfinished renovations. I know that there have been worse things that have happened on September 11, but this sure feels like a big crisis to me. And I know several other mothers who went to bed with a giant headache the day we found out that freedom would not come a' callin on September 5 as planned.
I admit it. I am done. I don't want to go to another...museum, park, restaurant, store. I don't want to draw, bake Sculpey clay, dance to music, go for a walk or bike ride or train trip. I don't want to say for the ten hundredth millionth time: NO, you cannot...watch TV, use the computer, play your game cube, man handle your sister, dramatically shriek as though the world is coming to an end, pour raw sugar down your throat...
I don't want anymore quality time. IT'S BEEN THREE MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't that long enough for anyone to completely put aside her own needs. Not that I remember what my own needs are.
This morning I sat on Alec's bed untangling and rolling up a big tangled ball of thick white string while he quizzed me about amazing facts from the Guinness Book of World Records 2007. I'd say this went on for a good hour. Like the kids, it's time for the string to move on to something more productive than what Alec has it doing: looping all around the upstairs like a big dirty mop. This was probably my biggest material accomplishment today: detangling string.
While sitting on the toilet, I also took some time to read and think about the poem "Solitude" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, which includes the famous line:
"Laugh and the world laughs with you,
Weep, and you weep alone..."
And though I'm sure I'm infringing on copyright laws by writing it here she goes on to say:
"Rejoice, and men will seek you,
Grieve, and they turn and go:
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe..."
One more particularly stinging line includes this happy thought:
"Be glad, and your friends are many:
Be sad, and you lose them all,...."
So what's a sad, grieving girl to do?
Fortunately, there were actually two balls of string to untangle, so I've got that to look forward to tomorrow.
1 comment:
Thank you for sharing about the balls of string. In this disposable society it is nice to know that someone will take the time to actually _save the string_ vs. buying a new ball at the store.
Sorry school opening is being delayed but I bet it will be a better place once all the work is done and the doors open.
Hang in there, we all love you!
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