Trares
When the calendar turned to May, our whole family breathed a sigh of relief.
Not that it felt like May — the first day of the month was a windy, rainy, cold one more suited for winter than anything else.
But with the new month comes a wealth of opportunities for all three of us.
For Anthony, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. His first-grade year has been a positive one, where he’s learning more and more, making new friends and taking part in new activities.
But waking that 7-year-old up for school each day has become increasingly like doing advanced calculus. He ignores us, burrows into his pillows and grunts. When we finally rouse him, he drags his feet and pouts and whines about having to get dressed.
“I quit,” he yelled at me one morning.
“Quit what?” I asked him.
“School,” was his reply.
But school itself isn’t the problem; getting him there is.
So Anthony has been eyeing the calendar constantly, counting down the days until the one marked “Last Student Day.” Summer vacation looms, what seems like a near-infinite weekend, where every day he gets to sleep in.
It’s so close, he has dreams about it.
My wife’s love of May has to do with special occasions. Her birthday falls smack dab in the middle of the month — a day solely to celebrate her. We’ve been planning the day out, which will include running a 5K in the morning, lunch around noon and Anthony’s soccer game after that.
She deserves more than one day of celebration. She’s in luck — the next day is Mother’s Day, so the party continues. Should be quite a weekend.
And for me, May is the gateway to the best time of year. The mornings are getting brighter, and the sun stays up much later in the evening (something I’m reminded of every time Anthony protests his bedtime — “It’s still light out!”)
Warm-weather possibilities spread out for months in my imagination. I’m dreaming of cookouts and campouts and balmy nights on the back patio; swimming pools and sunny days. We’re not quite there yet, but summer is on its way.
And May is a time to get work done so we can enjoy those things. Anthony has his final days of first grade to finish up, filled with music programs, field day and other end-of-the-year activities. When all of that is done, he’ll be off to second grade — though not without a break to relax.
I’m envisioning the garden I want to plant, the vegetables to fill our raised bed and ways to make our backyard more of an respite from the busyness of everyday life. My imagination is running wild, but that is part of the excitement that potential brings.
Our whole family’s mindset has changed with the new month. We can’t wait to see what it brings.
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
