Perspective

Doing single mom duty for the past 3 days has me absolutely convinced that single parenting is not for wimps.  I can’t help but wonder if moms who choose this option intentionally know how hard it is.  I do fine when I’m on my own with the kids, in fact, it’s easier in some ways because I can operate on my own schedule and agenda.  If I choose to let the dishes sit in the sink overnight, the kids certainly aren’t going to give a rat’s ass about it.  If we have cereal and toast for supper, they don’t look at it with any more disgust than they do when I actually serve them up something I’ve spent time preparing. 

Hmmm, actually, I think it may be less. 

 I do think the world should know that I’ve earned some serious Hockey Mom street cred this week.  Pitbull had tryouts Tuesday night and tonight and I managed to get him to both sessions without being reminded.  And. On. Time!  No lie!  For most people, this is a simple ask.  For me, hockey tryouts represent the starting line of the worlds coldest marathon.   On one hand, I love watching my boys play hockey but I so wish there were warmer accommodations.  For the next six months I will find myself perched on a cold metal bench somewhere in Minnesota.  I’m not real excited to get in the starting blocks for this test of endurance. 

Yesterday I started a pity party because I feel so completely overwhelmed with everything I have going on.   All the work stuff, kid stuff, homework stuff, Cub Scouts, hockey tryouts, keeping a household operating, and wanting to spend more time with my mom while I still can.  I was wallowing in self pity that my scrapbooks are 2 years behind and there are toys and kid things overtaking every nook and cranny in our house.  I’ve stepped on so many lego pieces that I have grooves in the bottoms of my feet that would complete the last piece of some amazing robotic spaceship.

 And the mice.  ARGH!  Those mice are going to drive me over the edge.  The stink!  Within hours of cleaning the cage, I can smell them.  Their stink sticks to my nostrils and follows me where ever I go.  Nasty.

Bottom line: I was feeling like I had some legitimate reasons to whine and hole up in a corner rocking back and forth in the fetal position while downing a bottle of scotch or something.

Then I got a karate chop between the eyes.

I am a Wish Granter for Make a Wish.  Last week one of my partners and I had delivered a turtle and all the turtle fixins to one of our Wish Kids as a way of announcing that he would be going to see “Crush” at Disney World in January.  Our plans for the big reveal got changed at the last minute because our friend was in the hospital all day.  His mom asked us to bring the turtle to him once he got home because she knew it would lift his spirits.  (Let me put in a plug for Petco right now.  They rocked this part of the wish!  We had asked if we could get him a turtle habitat and supplies and they totally delivered.  It was amazing!  This turtle will be living in the turtle Taj Mahal.  A local aquarium store was kind enough to donate the turtle so our little dude was poised for thrills.)

I’m sure our dude would have been more thrilled if he felt better.  He looked awful when we brought the turtle over and set everything up.  He liked laying on the couch watching his turtle but he didn’t have nearly the exuberance he did when we first met him and talked about how much he loved turtles. 

Just as I was blowing up the last of my pity balloons and setting out the buffet of consolation chocolate, my partner called and interrupted my pity party with the news that our little friend is not doing well.  In fact, he’s not going to survive.  The doctors can’t do any more for him.  His brain is full of cancer and they sent him home with the intent to keep him comfortable.  SEVEN YEARS OLD. 

So. Not. Fair!

Kind of kicked my whiney ass to the curb.  

I sat and cried and said a prayer of healing and hope for our little friend and his poor, poor parents. 

And then I said a prayer of thanks that I will be watching my sons play hockey from icy cold metal benches for the next six months.

~ by karmental on October 8, 2008.