Monday, May 30, 2016

Memorial Day

There seems to be a lot of confusion over Memorial Day.

Some people go around thanking veterans for their service. That’s a lovely thing to do, and should be done more often, but they’re confusing Memorial Day with Veteran’s Day.

Some people are busy wishing everyone “Happy Summer!” Thanks to the unofficial agreement of pool and beach operators everywhere, Memorial Day weekend is the first official opening of community pools and beaches. I’m a little surprised someone at Hallmark hasn’t created a “Happy Summer” card. In New Jersey, the highways leading down to the shore are crammed with the first of the beachgoers renting houses for weekends or simply taking a day or two to swim and lay in the sand. After a cold winter (or really, after any winter), everyone is dying to start absorbing vitamin D. It’s a fun thing to do (unless you’re married to someone who hates sand—sigh), but they’re confusing Memorial Day with warm weather and summer.

Some of us are hosting or going to barbeques. It’s a chance to get together with friends, kick back and relax and make way too much food (oh wait, I do that all the time). It’s a social thing to do, but they’re/we’re confusing Memorial Day with any warm day at dinnertime.

Some of us are taking advantage of sales and going shopping. Okay, this is not fun, especially if you’re the mother of two teen girls who somehow need everything even though I’d swear we just bought everything they needed last month.


No matter what you’re doing this Memorial Day weekend, or with whom you’re doing it, remember that Memorial Day honors our soldiers who died in battle. And at some point, in between the beach and the barbeque and the shopping, take a moment to stop and remember them.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Mondays

Mondays are usually my favorite day of the week. To me, they’re like New Year’s Day or the beginning of each season—they’re the start of a brand new week.
I get to start at the top of my to-do list. I get a do-over. I get to chart a new course. Was I a slug last week? I can change that and add oomph to my productivity. Was I cranky this past weekend? I can be extra nice, cook a special dinner, bake “please forgive me” cookies. Was last week particularly rough? I can take a deep breath and appreciate the fact that I made it through, knowing that this week has to be easier.
Anything can happen.
Sure, they’re also nice because everyone leaves for work and school, giving me a nice peaceful house, but that’s an added bonus. It’s nice to take in the quiet, reset my brain, feed the introvert in me before I have to smile and jump into the much-loved chaos of family.
Except this week, Monday is not my most favorite day. There are things I must do that I’ve been dreading, and Monday is not making me happy. This Monday is the end of the anticipation. After today, I’ll be done, I’ll have my answers, and I’ll be able to make a new plan.

So I’m going to look ahead to Tuesday. Tuesday is going to be my do-over day. Because after today, everything really will be brand new and different. And twenty-four hours can only last so long.