Traveling

Today, I am leaving for Atlanta.  I can’t wait to go.  For the past few years, I have tried to return to Atlanta for homecoming.  I love seeing my old college friends as well as my family.  I enjoy hanging out at my classes’ tail gate tent, the camaraderie, and the fun we have together. 

Monday, I started pre-packing.  I have to get my outfits together.  After all, I went to Spelman College, and you can’t show up anywhere looking shabby.   So, while I’m packing, my daughter acts surprised that I’m going somewhere.  Now, I’m thinking, “Girl, you know I go to Atlanta around this time every year.  This isn’t the first time.”  And besides, I told her a few days ago that I’m leaving Thursday and won’t be able to make Saturday’s track meet.  I guess it didn’t sink in that I was leaving until she actually saw me pre-packing.  Now she’s sad.  For the last two days, all I have been hearing is how she is going to miss me.  She’s going on, and on, and on.  And it is starting to drive me crazy!  I love her and all, but I just don’t need another hug and kiss and proclamation of her love for me.  I’m trying to pack!  Besides, I’ve been through this before and I know how this story ends.  Once I’m gone and she is at school with her friends, she won’t be thinking of me.  When I get back, she will tell me how much she missed me, and I will give her my standard response, “Oh yeah?  But you didn’t call or text me.”  Although, to be fair to her, she will text me and tell me to have a good time.

Then there’s her brother, “Mommy, do you have to go?”  Ummmm, yeah!!!  I need to get away.  Of course, I can’t say that to him (and since he probably has forgotten that I have a blog, I’m pretty confident that he won’t be reading it).  So, here are my choices, I can travel out of state for the weekend, drink and party with other adults, eat out with friends, and go have fun, or stay at home and be the responsible mom.  Which do you think I’m doing this weekend? 

Both of my children have asked me if they could come with me.  I tell them that they can’t go, after all, they have to go to school.  But what I’m really thinking is, “Are you crazy!  You two would get in the way of my partying.”  The reality is that I need this weekend.  I need the time to forget about all the responsibilities that comes with being a mother and all of the responsibilities of work.  I just need to hang out and get my party on, remember all the good times that I had in college, and make new memories with my friends that I only get to see once a year.  Once I do that, I will be tired, but relaxed. Spending time away from my kids makes me a better parent.  As parents, we spend so much of our time tending to the wants and needs of our children.  However, it is rare that we get the chance to tend to our own wants needs.  However, we need to make the effort to tend to them more often.  Doing so will make us better parents. 

So, on that note, I’m off to Atlanta!  Maybe I’ll see you there.

Be good to yourselves  … And Consider Yourself Warned.