The Weekend Log: Take 7

All about showing up. PLUS: A sweet new movie + Old Navy shopping cart.

Wednesday morning’s dog-walk view.

Hello Midlifers — how are you?

I am getting ready to drive about 4 hours due west later this morning for (maybe?) the last time. In fact, this is my very last long drive in service to one of my four children’s higher ed journey.

IT HAS BEEN A SLOG. (cue this song)

Between all the college campus visits, orientations, move ins, football games and graduations, I have logged many the miles (thanks, Sara Bareilles). The older two kids went to a school about 7-8 hours away (Virginia Tech) and I was pretty newly divorced and working full time with another kid still elementary school, and I was just trying to keep it together. Chaos.

Then the younger two went to a school half the driving time away (Penn State) but it was still a drive I did many times and often one of the legs by myself. Many podcasts, audiobooks and daydreams got me through those journeys.

Also, those roadtrips always involved rain. It never failed. I remember one drive down to Blacksburg, VA for a reason that escapes me and it started to pour. There I am careening down the 2-lane 81 (IYKYK) with massive tractor trailers zooming past me and leaving a tsunami-like spray in their wake, when my phone goes off. It’s a friend at the fifth grade DARE celebration — an endless event I sat through for the three older kids as well as strangers’ kids when I was running a local news website — to say that my youngest’s essay had won and he got up in front of everyone to read it.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME????” I remember yelling, trying to stay focused on the sliver of roadway I could still see between my windshield wipers’ blades useless attempt at safety. Like, after sitting through other people’s kids’ endless and earnest essays read by children who would one day grow up to indulge in both drugs and alcohol, I missed my own kid’s?