Friday, June 14, 2013

Summer Breezes



We've had a few glimpses of summer recently, which left me wanting MORE MORE MORE!

With sunscreen correctly applied and wearing my hat, of course.

I realized that my perspective on summer is very different as a fifty-something mom than that of a young mom with a young child after reading this excellent post by Kristen of Sjoggie StAHMer: Long Summer:

My girly is a perfect human replica of a hummingbird. She's bright flashy beauty that flits from thing to thing in constant motion. I somehow have to find a way to stimulate and challenge her mind, help her get out her love of running and climbing and all around normal kid behavior for physical activity, and somehow manage to get us out of the house several times a week, while working around my flaring mess of a body.
I am grateful that when my kids were young, thankfully I was mostly able to keep up with them. Now that I am older and dealing with Sjogren's and company, I have the luxury of putting this dumb stupid disease first, unlike Kristen and other young parents who have to balance the needs of their families with their own health issues and concerns. And when summer rolls around and kids take a break from school, those needs frequently include lots and lots of physical activities.

Whew. I need a nap just thinking about it.

You guys are awesome. Seriously.

3 comments:

Blogger Mama said...

Aw, thanks Julia. Sometimes it can get frustrating having to explain to other mommy friends what it's like during the summer. That's some serious validation there! ;o)

Anonymous said...

I agree! A lot of our friends have no idea I have Sjogren's and Fibro. Even if they did, I'm not sure they'd understand it all. Difficult to explain to them why I can't spend all day at an amusement park (in the sun) or why hosting huge children's birthday parties are not on the tops of my list. Sometimes, I feel guilty because we don't have big parties and lots of kids to celebrate, but I just don't know that I can manage it. The noon-time nap I get during the school year makes me much more prepared for after school activities, homework and dinner. During the summer I'm wiped! Thanks for posting :)

Christine said...

I completely agree with your sentiments Julia! I have two adult stepchildren and no children that I am raising. I cannot imagine where they find the energy when also dealing with Sjogren's.

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