A friend and I were catching up about all things Mother’s Day weekend, and she asked me a really good question: “Do you find it hard to celebrate yourself?” I was befuddled. Yes. Yes, I do. I also find it challenging to slow down and celebrate those around me too.
Those occasions are on my list, but they fall to the bottom and thus rarely happen. I passed my nutritionist exam last December with a top score but have yet to honor that accomplishment. Because, you know, life. But what is life really about? It is about laundry and yearbook orders and swim team carpool, but it is also–and arguably more–about recognizing when it’s time to pause and say “Hooray! Well done! Applause! Let’s party!”
Most recently, mother/son night at our school was tabled due to weather and other commitments; still, my son and I carved out an evening a couple nights later to celebrate him graduating 5th grade and entering the wide, wild world of middle school. We got him some new kicks, grabbed a burger and some fro yo, and then curled up for a scary movie on the couch. There were a lot of laughs, and it was special to be able to take a minute or two to tell him how very proud of him I am for the person he’s growing up to be.
Next week we will host our traditional root beer float ceremony marking the end of school and start of summer. I love this event. What began as a few kids in my kitchen for scoops of ice cream has grown into a full-blown driveway gathering with over a dozen children. Nothing makes me happier than when my friends tell me their children–who have gone on to older grades or transferred schools–ask if they can still attend.
These are the times where I get lost in the joy of why we hustle throughout the weeks and months. I’d like to be more intentional going into summer about not letting noteworthy moments, including my own, go by uncelebrated.
Celebrations don’t have to be big and fancy either. They can come in the form of a Slurpee after a good game or a gifted plant with a simple note on someone’s doorstep. They can be about treating yourself to an afternoon in the park with a new book and new shades, or they might involve treating a friend to a visit and some coffee after rounding the bend of a difficult week.
How do you plan to celebrate the end of the 20/21 school year with your children and for yourselves as parents who endured too?
