By Nancy Cruse
Is May a crazy month or what? I don’t know about you but every weekend and every week night of May is booked.
On the weekends we have Prom, Mother’s Day, Graduation, graduation parties, birthday parties, and Memorial Day celebrations.
On the week nights we have track meets, voice lessons, band concerts, choir concerts, pole vault club, and musical rehearsals.
Add to that spring yard work: pulling weeds, trimming trees, and spreading mulch.
So much is going on it’s nearly impossible to catch your breath. It’s easy to forget what’s really important.
I have been a parent for over 26 years and one thing I know for sure. It’s not going to slow down. on the contrary, time seems to fly by faster the older I get.
I find myself struggling to simply enjoy the event I’m at rather than going through the checklist of what I need to do for the next one.
At the Mother’s Day cookout this weekend in honor of my mom, surrounded by the people I love the most, I found myself half-listening to the conversation while my brain was thinking about where I was going to find the right colors of napkins I need for my daughter’s high school graduation party.
When I realized what I was doing, I asked my 87 year old dad if he’d like to take a walk. We were joined by some of the grandkids and headed off for a tour of the farm. Grandpa showed us his solar energy project, his new back hoe, and shared stories of his childhood.
I learned an important lesson. Focus on what is right in front of you. Cherish the moments you are given. Don’t let the busyness of May or any time of year prevent you from living in the present.
As you work your way through the crazy month of May, take a breath, slow down, and enjoy.
Nancy Cruse has been part of the Bloomington/Normal community for the past almost 30 years. A widow, with five children, along with her late husband was a small business owner in downtown Bloomington. Now employed by State Farm, Nancy is active in the community, writing the Clare House newsletter and maintaining their Facebook page, hosting an annual Fourth of July Food Drive, a team leader and fundraiser for the Pat Nohl Lupus Walk, and a member of Toastmasters International, as well as volunteering in various capacities at Holy Trinity Church and schools. In her spare time, Nancy likes to run, bike, hike, read, sew, and be a vegetarian who occasionally indulges in a Schooners Tenderloin.
The opinions expressed within WJBC’s Forum are solely those of the Forum’s author, and are not necessarily those of WJBC or Cumulus Media, Inc.
