My life as a mom is so compartmentalized that it is close to comical. It would be great to film any day of any mom’s life and edit it down to a few minutes with no voices just play “The Barber of Seville” over it. You would bring a theatre full of parents to their feet in ovation as this would capture life between birth and 18 perfectly. No words just full steam ahead free flowing organized endless mishaps and chaos with three meals a day.
I often play music in my head over my daily life to make it more entertaining. Recently as I was completing my evening sojourn of the take 2 trains, get the car, get a snack, run to two different after school programs to pick up kids, give said snack, pick up a healthy dinner, make homework happen, check homework, heat food, serve food, try to eat food and spend quality time with kids, have a conversation, find out how their day was, make sure guitar is practiced, bath, read to, love and listen, try not to fall asleep w/ child while reading. Get up from reading go through bags see what needs to be signed, returned, paid, Cloroxed and identified. Do laundry, greet husband, find medical forms, find summer camp, make Dr’s appt., think of present for various 5 year old birthday parties coming up, barter with husband to see who is responsible for finding chosen gift, have a life and possibly a career.
With the background music playing in my life on either the radio, iPod or in my head I realized I break everything down into how many songs it takes me to complete each task. Driving to Emma’s afterschool is a two song commute. Dinner prep is ideally four songs, five if I have a glass of wine. Six if I get a phone call while cooking. Bath’s take three songs unless both kids bath together than it’s a five song rubber ducky repertoire. If the radio in our car hits the 3rd song when I am charging from one after school pick up to another than you don’t want to be the car driving slowly in front of me. I have to get there before they are holding out their hand for that $10 penalty fee for being late. The fee that the 22 year old after school counselor tells you with their mouth how sorry they are but in their eyes have $$ in them and they are delighted because they think since you drive a car and own a house you are rich. Though in some crazy way you feel like you have less money in this stage of life because just like the music in my mind it is all allotted before it is even earned.
It all sounds packaged, planned and pigeonholed. It often feels that way as well. Sometimes when you lay your head on your pillow at night and the lights are off you can see the program of your life lying in front of you. Like a broadcaster you are forecasting drivetime, lunchtime, playtime and even private time. It was not supposed to be this way but it somehow works when you are managing four people’s lives. You just have to remember in life to pull off at an unplanned roadside stop once and a while. Stop at that tacky wax museum you’ve driven by too many times to count. Don’t just re-fuel and hit the highway. Jump on the beds and have ice cream for dinner. Life is too short and sweet so listen to the music in your life. If there isn’t any playing allow your heart to feel it and your mind will soon catch up. When you hear it grab your children or your partner and dance.
