Day is done

I am so tired that my body aches. The first week of school always makes me feel this way. But this year between teaching two classes - one of them with 150 students - soccer practices, cub scouts, playdates, and general life I am exhausted. Or at least I thought I was - I thought I would barely be able to make it home, much less pick up my kids. But as a mom, you find that reserve energy and you get things done. For me, I figured I'd put the kids in front of the t.v. while I made frozen fish sticks and then just let them sit while I lamented in my mind about my drained energy. But the kids didn't want that - they want to play - play outside. So, while I put the fishsticks in the oven, I let the three older ones go outside. Lucas shrieked until I finally brought him outside, too. He immediately went to the wagon and as he gingerly climbed in so as not to drop the blueberry bagel he snagged on the way out, his crying fit ended and he seemed to throw his head back as if to breathe in the last few days of summer. I circled block several times as I watched my kids playing with the neighborhood kids. The bikes - the scooters - the chalk - the laughter - the strategy as two jedi knights protected the culdesac ... all combined to take my own breath away. This moment - that was strictly orchestrated by ten children just being kids - the youngest being 15 months - the oldest 9 years old - was exactly what any mom would need to believe that life doesn't get much better than this. The fish sticks could wait, the peas would reheat - but this moment - was what summer was all about - no video games, no tvs ... no fatigue - simply friendship that framed the end of the day.

As I stood looking at these kids, I began to think of my own friendships and how precious they are to me. How there are days when your friends bring you the peace you so deeply needed - although they may not have known it - or how there are times when the right song evokes a memory of days passed and for a moment you are transported to a time and place where life embraced you. I think about how the beauty of friendship strengthens my soul.

And so it was tonight as all the Moms began to call their kids in for bed that I noticed the sun setting. My kids and I walked to the end of the block to let the richness of the orange hues paint the end of our day. And as we slowly turned to walk back home and Nicholas slides his hand into mind, he notices the stars. "Look Mom, they are following us" - "yes, baby, they are - the stars will always follow us, when the day is done - and sometimes, it is wonderful to take the time to let them guide our way home." With that, we turned into our driveway - blessed by another day and the night in which we may dream.