Do the best you can - Susan Sawyers

This mom was feeling the guilt, sadness and shame for not joining the ten-year old for a classmate’s bowling birthday celebration yesterday afternoon. Overwhelmed with my own work, I began graduate school ten days ago and my first assignment is due today. I accepted the gracious offer of another parent to escort the party-goer to the event. Meanwhile, the same mother escorted my guy to another classmate’s birthday bash last week.

I’ve never been one to love children’s parties, in fact in my kids early years, birthday parties were the responsibility of my husband, their dad, for the double reason that it offered him the opportunity to engage with our children’s friends’ parents AND relieved me of the socializing. Call me crabby. But here’s the thing, as the children grow older and more independent, the opportunities to join them in their activities dwindle.

With just days to go before the school year comes to an end and all of the celebrations, birthdays, ceremonies, not to mention day-to-day routines, I need to remind myself of the quality time we have together. It’s not quantity. The right thing is to love my boy all up. It’s the best I can do. But why do I still feel sad? Is it separation?