Late Pass

It was one of those mornings. You know them if you are a Mom. It was one that continued non-stop from the night before. One that went into the wee hours through the dark of night and into dawn. A night filled with children’s scary dreams, coughing children, potty breaks and children on top of YOUR space in YOUR bed (after all don’t Moms deserve their own bed space?) Morning finally came and the schedule began. Two children who needed to be at school, with lunches, water bottles, signed permission slips, the class stuffed animal, a change of gym clothes…the list goes on and on. Whatever happened to the days of just getting to school with a granola bar in hand? Your youngest needs to go potty, refuses to wear socks or shoes and its 10 degrees outside. The clock is ticking. Breakfast? “Put a waffle in the toaster!” I yell. I could see where my voice was leading and felt how my blood temperature started rising. LATE was all I could hear in my head. Late again! Always hurrying, and always scurrying. I stopped. Before this morning became an all too familiar scene, I made a decision. “God, calm my heart and bring peace. Help us to stop hurrying.” I took a deep breath and declared, “We are getting a late pass today. Mommy is running behind and there’s no way we will make it to school on time today. We aren’t going to rush today. We are all getting a late pass.” Saying it provided immediate relief. We all began to smile a little more, talk softer and kinder. We even ate together a homemade breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes. We drove to school at a normal speed and we all arrived to school a lot happier. Allowing ourselves a late pass was what we all needed. Sure, we can’t get a late pass every day. However, some days we need to allow ourselves one. Hurrying is not a healthy speed. The decisions we make in a hurry are not always the ones we are proud of either. Slowing down and making a decision that was best for my family that day has stuck with me in the many days of mothering I have ahead. A late pass really isn’t so bad after all! Join other mothers and Natalie, our MotherCare instructor in the next session of MotherCare Class. It is a four week series at which you will discuss the changes that may occur in families when welcoming a first or subsequent sibling to your family. Email Natalie at [email protected] for more information.