At the end of a day like today, I pretty much have to realize that the only thing for it is to go to bed. I might think I want to do a little reading. I might pretend to want to do a little ironing (the pile grows). I might actually want to take a bath. But no. After a day like today, it is best just to go to bed and get a fresh start tomorrow.
Why? you say. Was it so bad? you say.
And the answer is no. It was not so bad. Today was a good day. It really was. But it was Really Really Busy.
It started well enough. The children and I made it through some solid homeschool hours. We covered some material, and the boys each got some good piano practice in. But just before 11, it started. We were off.
My dear Bonnie kept the children for me while I went to the first meeting. It was a good meeting, and necessary. But I’ll admit it made me cry. What can you do?
And then I grabbed a quick lunch with Bill (to debrief) and enjoyed a short visit with Bonnie. And that visit was a little island of stillness in what otherwise was a harried sort of day.
Because then I was off to yet another meeting, and this one did not make me cry in the least. It didn’t even make me think of crying. It reminded me, in fact, that I have reason to rejoice.
Oh? you say. Why? you say. Or maybe you said that earlier, wondering why I was crying.
I am not going to tell you that. Sorry.
But I am going to tell you why I have reason to rejoice. The reason is this: I have a job! Yes, Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill has hired me (Me) as their Humanities teacher for their brand new high school, opening in the fall of 2006. Yes, as of 11:15 on February 16, I am agreed to go back to teaching. And I am thrilled—really and truly—to have this job.
That is why I had two meetings today. Whew.
And after those meetings we rushed to the grocery store, and we rushed to Cub Scouts, and we rushed home again for dinner. And it was sometime during my dinner preparations that I decided I’d had enough: the day was Utterly Full, and I was Utterly Tired, and I would Go To Bed.
But I heard the children opening the front door, and I thought that was odd. It was, after all, after nine o’clock. It was, in fact, nine-fifteen.
“Mom, there’s a group of people at the door for you.”
Very Odd. Who could possibly be at the door for me? Who, at this hour, could possibly be at the door?
I’ll tell you: It was almost all the members of the Sixty-Six Dogs book club, bearing champagne and strawberries and a beautiful cake, coming to celebrate my new job. Sonya, who, with the others, endured the waiting for the job offer, who was, in fact, part of my job interview (which we understood and also thought was a little funny), was among the first to call when she got my news. And she remembered, dear Sonya, when I said to her, “I’m so happy I feel like celebrating!”
So we did.
Yes. After nine p.m., on a Tuesday, some of the Dearest Friends I Know came to my home to celebrate with me, bearing champagne and disposable plates, forks and napkins (so I didn’t have to do anything, you see), and stayed until after ten—just because they are happy for me.
Oh. Now I see. Now it is all so clear. I did not, after all, want to go to bed. No. I wanted to have a party. I Really Did.
Joy!
Thank you, Dear Friends, for a delightful party. I feel So Much Better.
