Summer Farewell
I don't buy into the idea that summer ends on Labor Day. It must be a by-product of living in Southwest Florida where daily high temperatures remain solidly in the 90's until mid-October. Even so, tomorrow is the autumnal equinox (the forecast high in Fort Myers is 90 degrees...) that marks the official end of "summer." This summer has been really special for me because I vowed to do nothing this summer except spend time with Zane and PG. It was a lesson in letting go.
Pre-baby and, to a great extent, during Zane's third - fifth months, my life was a whirlwind of Junior League, work, Session, travel...Always more "stuff" and always go-go-go. Last summer and fall, despite being pregnant, I worked my tail off. I kept a regular schedule at work, and I filled every spare minute with coordinating the largest fundraiser of the year for the Junior League. I was managing everything pretty well, but I was not spending any time on ME, or basking in the wondrous pregnancy I enjoyed. And I was not spending any time with my growing baby. It still makes me a little sad to think about all the time I spent doing other things until my doctor ordered me to bed for the remainder of my pregnancy. It was hard for me to accept bed rest: I had too many things to do! I had to let go and slow down.
I thought of that lesson as I drove home from Tallahassee after Session, emotionally and physically exhausted. Something had to give. I did not want to spend this summer as I spent last summer; I did not want to spend so much time focused on work, or on planning Taste of the Town (a full-time job in itself) All I wanted was to just be a mama; to spend lots of time hanging out with the two loves of my life and, frankly, myself. The biggest impediment was ME: me giving myself permission to let go and slow down.
Now that summer is coming to an "official" end, I wonder where the time went. But I'm not sad this time around. It was a wonderful, fun-filled summer*. And, best of all, I learned how to let go, slow down and balance this tricky thing we call life.
*Pictures of all the summer fun are forthcoming in subsequent posts...
Pre-baby and, to a great extent, during Zane's third - fifth months, my life was a whirlwind of Junior League, work, Session, travel...Always more "stuff" and always go-go-go. Last summer and fall, despite being pregnant, I worked my tail off. I kept a regular schedule at work, and I filled every spare minute with coordinating the largest fundraiser of the year for the Junior League. I was managing everything pretty well, but I was not spending any time on ME, or basking in the wondrous pregnancy I enjoyed. And I was not spending any time with my growing baby. It still makes me a little sad to think about all the time I spent doing other things until my doctor ordered me to bed for the remainder of my pregnancy. It was hard for me to accept bed rest: I had too many things to do! I had to let go and slow down.
I thought of that lesson as I drove home from Tallahassee after Session, emotionally and physically exhausted. Something had to give. I did not want to spend this summer as I spent last summer; I did not want to spend so much time focused on work, or on planning Taste of the Town (a full-time job in itself) All I wanted was to just be a mama; to spend lots of time hanging out with the two loves of my life and, frankly, myself. The biggest impediment was ME: me giving myself permission to let go and slow down.
Now that summer is coming to an "official" end, I wonder where the time went. But I'm not sad this time around. It was a wonderful, fun-filled summer*. And, best of all, I learned how to let go, slow down and balance this tricky thing we call life.
*Pictures of all the summer fun are forthcoming in subsequent posts...
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Aunt Janny