Ready for Summer and Phil Lee
Maybe some of you remember times when your kids were young and you were constantly telling them, “we don’t say ‘shut up’” or “shut up is not a nice thing to say.” And then there was that day when they were driving you crazy and you yelled “SHUT UUUUP!” That’s what I want to do right now….just yell “SHUT UUUUUP” at life.
It’s been a funny sort of month, what with the Neo-Nazis and the hate mail, other emails that just make me think “wow” and not in a good way and working a lot. And I confess that I’m ready for school to be over. I get this way every May I suppose. I’m tired of asking about homework, tired of being ignored when I ask about homework, tired of saying “PLEASE wear a different t-shirt today,” tired of getting home from work and realizing that we haven’t thought about dinner and worrying about eating too late. As much as I’m not ready for the semester being over at work because of so much to do…I am SOOOOO ready. Ready to sit in my front yard. Ready to sit while the sun goes down and drink wine, talk to my family and stare at the garden while I make grand gardening plans that I will never complete. I’m missing my folks and my sister more for some reason. I have constant dreams that they are in…usually someone is dying but all three sisters are always there. My dreams can be frightfully prosaic but they are often filled with longing for past homes and family.
It made me sad yesterday when I was talking to Owen and he knew all about the riots in Baltimore but not what had happened to provoke them (as well as all the peaceful protests). Why is it easier for people to be outraged over buildings rather than lives? It made me think about what the boys hear in their day to day life now and what they will absorb. Not that I expect them to agree with all my beliefs of course but it still made me stop and think. As nasty as the article about me was it started some good conversations. Think I’m a wacked out extreme feminist because I kept my name? I told the boys to think about that when they read descriptions of people online and take into account what the reality might or might not be.
There’s something about summer that is centering for me. Perhaps it’s just because the focus comes to being at home in the yard and going on vacation as a family. Right now I need that centering.
I’m ready for summer I guess. Ready, ready, ready.
I'd show you a beautiful picture of the boys when they were little but for some reason this isn't letting me post pictures. Use your imagination please. Instead, I will leave you with the Mighty King of Love.