The Gift of Time

I haven't heard my mother's voice in almost 21 years, but I can still hear it in my head most days. When I was younger she was a constant at every recital, sporting event, play. You name it, and she was there. She also made sure that my sisters and I were exposed to whatever activity we wanted to try. As a kid I tried piano, violin, trombone, and clarinet. I also played soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and softball. I took ballet, modeling classes and did art. Many of these lasted a session or two. Some longer.  It just depended on my interest. She never pressured me into making a choice or sticking with one thing or another. She also nurtured my love of the outdoors and sent me to dozens of day camps and eventually sleep away camps. At the time, I didn't realize the sacrifice that she and my father made in terms of money and time. I also didn't realize how fortunate I was to be able to be exposed to so many things.

Now that I have three kids of my own who want to participate in many activities, I find myself thinking of my mother. Spring is extremely busy in our house. There is soccer, baseball, lacrosse (for both girls and me-I coach), Girls on the Run, a full time job, a part time job, and just being a mother. When I find myself feeling a bit overwhelmed, I think of my own mother and the sacrifices she made. The time she gave up to drive me and my sisters from one activity to the next, cheering us on.

And I also think that I don't have many more years of this. Five for the oldest followed by seven and eight. I know that I will never get this time back. I also know that when my own children are adults they will look back on their childhood and be thankful for being given the opportunities to find their passion.

I just wish my mother were here so I could properly thank her. Thank her for helping me to be the person I am today. Thank her for all of her time. But then again, she probably knows. Because mothers are like that.