Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Bells and Books


School started today!

While DH and I waltzed through our morning routines, the kids dragged themselves out of the house, shoulders drooped, feet shuffling, spirits dimmed.

I remember the feeling well. They don’t believe me when I say someday they will look forward to a new school year with barely contained excitement. All they can see is toting home bulging book bags, spending hours staring at long division and having to endure the horror of writing essays and reports and vocabulary sentences.

Meanwhile, I have the house to myself again! Though I’ve got tons of work to do, I once again have the luxury of putting my feet up and cracking open a book without hearing the plaintive wail of ‘What’s fer lunch?’

I can poise my pen over a blank piece of paper and know that I can actually write a word, a sentence, even and entire paragraph without interruption.

If I want to go out, I can jump in the car and go without having to cajole anyone to find their shoes and haul themselves out of cyberspace long enough to go with me. I can talk on the phone without someone hovering in front of me waiting to ask the musical question, “What are we doing today?”

Ahhhh. I don’t know where I’ll begin – too many choices. Maybe I’ll just meditate for a while before I do any work and give thanks for the peace and quiet. I know it won’t last long. The bus will be back this afternoon and there will be forms to fill out, books to cover, last minute trips for school supplies and lots of moaning about how much work the teachers will expect of their tired and mushy little brains.

But until then...I’ll be on the patio with my feet up, a tall glass of lemonade in my hand, and a blank sheet of paper.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

CHerish your moments of peace!

Jennifer McKenzie said...

I'm with you. All the way. Yayyyy peace and quiet.