Parenthood Lesson

On my 16th birthday it snowed. So hard, in fact, that school was canceled. I could not believe it. It was early March. February was typically the last month we could expect snow in Central Oklahoma. Of course, I wasn't worried about missing school, my parents' commutes or even not seeing my friends. I couldn't take my driver's test. Everyone I knew waited in the licensing parking lot to be the first in line on the day of their 16th birthdays, and I figured that's what I had to do, too.

Bummed, I sulked. I think I even cried. I called friends and asked that they feel sorry for me. I told the story as if it were something monumental.

Thankfully, I am not 16 any more. Parenthood is teaching me lots of things, but one that I'm starting to like is that I have to be in the moment more. We can make plans, but typically they are tentative. I've learned that if I let myself get upset when something doesn't work out the way I'd planned, I need to just roll with it. After all, you never know when a kid will throw up, run a fever, get a cold, need a nap or turn into the cranky monster. And, you never know when Mom will break her foot.

I'm guessing my parents were nice enough to indulge my melancholy for a moment a two on my 16th, but then they probably thought, "Buck up, girl. The snow will be gone in a day or two."

Growing up helps, but nothing kicks your plans in the rear like becoming a parent. So, that's why we've been so happy the past few days to just be. Of course, since I can't drive, it's not like we have the option to go lots of places, but, still, we're making the best of this slower pace.

Today Dina and her two boys came over for a picnic in the backyard. I packed a picnic basket and we sat on blankets in the yard and ate our lunch from the plastic plates in the basket. I made pasta salad and Dina brought dessert. Her boys played with Wiley, and Jasper enjoyed watching the big kids run around the yard.

If I didn't have a broken foot, we probably wouldn't have made such a deal about a backyard picnic. But, it was fun. We might even make tentative plans to do it again.