Photography by Lori K. Tate
I hit my mental wall this week, folks. I think I’ve just been trying a little too hard to hold things together, and once I realized that our state was going into phase 1 of reopening, I had to let it out.
It’s like when you get near the end of a workout. You push yourself really hard because you know it’s almost over. You leave it all on the gym floor because there are only a few more minutes left. Everything I’ve been holding in during the quarantine came out this week. I cried. I yelled, and now I feel better.
I have no idea if this is almost over, and no one else does either — this includes people who think they’re epidemiologists just because they went to Harris Teeter without a mask and didn’t catch COVID-19. We are all individuals. We all have opinions, and our opinions are informed from different experiences and character traits. The sooner we realize that and belt out a verse of Let it Be, the better off we’ll all be.
One thing that put me in a good mood today is the fact that it is Friday. Regardless of the coronavirus, I still get a kick out of Fridays. I still want to hear Loverboy’s Working for the Weekend and Wet Willie’s Weekend when the clock ticks closer to 5 p.m. (You know you love those songs.)
That said, it’s time for Weekly Winks. Every Friday I share the Winks of Goodness I experienced throughout the week because I’ve found that writing down and formally acknowledging these suckers gives them more power. I encourage you to share your own Weekly Winks on my site or on social media. Look around and write it down — share the goodness.
Saturday — A yellow butterfly flew beside me for a few seconds during my run. I know it was mom helping me get through the week leading up to my first Mother’s Day without her.
Sunday — While I was running, a sweet man let me cross in front of him while he was waiting at a stop sign. He yelled, “Go ahead, don’t mess up your pace.” I love nice people.
Monday — My soul sister brought me a pink butterfly for my first Mother’s Day without mom. Beyond thankful for my soul sister for more reasons than I can count! I clipped the butterfly on the lampshade beside my bed so that it’s the first thing I see in the morning.
Tuesday — Today was Easton’s day, and I’m so grateful that people responded to my blog post about her (Mothers and Daughters Connected Forever— May 5, 2020) because it keeps her with us. Love you forever, sweet Easton.
Wednesday — My neighbor’s son brought his turtle, aptly named Turtle, over to meet me. I adore turtles, and I love that he just brought him over out of the blue. It made my whole day.
Thursday — Today we rode in parades by the homes of Graydon’s teacher and his teacher assistant. It was so wonderful to see everyone, but it was also sad because we couldn’t hug and hang out. One day….
Friday — During my morning run, I saw children playing on the swing set at a local childcare center. Watching them run around and hearing their giggles gave me a tiny glimpse of normal. We will get there.
As we crack the door open to our new world, remember that we are all in this together. And also remember that Sunday is Mother’s Day. Here’s to all those folks out there who have lost their moms, and here’s to all of those women out there desperately trying to become mothers. I see you, and I love you.
Happy Mother’s Day! Stay well!