"Sweet May hath come to love us,
Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;
And through the blue heavens above us
The very clouds move on."
Heinrich Heine
It's finally May. I love May. The spring air has warmed, and the flowers and plants are in full bloom. Birds sing to wake me in the morning. School is winding down in a flurry of field trips and picnics and field days. The beautiful spring clothes are on clearance in the stores and all the summer fashions have been rolled out. Warm days mean pedicures and cute sandals and beautiful cool evening air for playing outside after dinner. It also means intense, booming thunder that sends sweet, frightened little boys to my room to snuggle in bed with me. Graduation parties and wedding showers and outdoor barbecues with chips and salsa and plenty of good wine in cute novelty glasses.
It's hands-down my favorite month.
Oh, did I mention that my birthday is in May? And that Hubby has dubbed May "the month of Kathy?" He knows how much I love my birthday. I know, at least 19 million other people on Earth have my same birthday; three of my Facebook friends do. But it's still my birthday, my special day.
Given the fact that I've never really had the utmost love and confidence in myself, it is ironic that I would have such strong feelings about the day I was brought on this earth, but I do. Actually, there's never been any shortage of love I show myself this month. I get pedicures and massages, and I get my hair cut and highlighted for the summer. I do lunches with my friends, and I just relish in celebrating me.
The May I turned 40, Hubby threw me a wonderful surprise party, which was exactly what I needed given that's when Joey was very sick. Even though I have always wanted a surprise party, all I really wanted for my birthday that year was to hear Joey say, "Happy birthday, Mommy." But each time that day I would tell him it was my birthday, he just gave me a mildly interested smile. By the next time I would tell him, he had forgotten already.
How Hubby planned a surprise party with all that was going on is a mystery to me. Of course, I had no clue because I was so consumed with Joey. He thought I knew, though, because I really made myself up that week, getting my hair done, a mani/pedi, and a spray tan. Even though I was turning 40, I didn't want to look it. Did I?
It always seems to rain on my birthday, though, which is weird. So if you have any outdoor plans on the 20th, you may want to have a back-up plan. Just sayin'.
Of course, Mother's Day is in May, too, just adding to the "month of Kathy." We go out to brunch and dinner so I don't have to clean up the kitchen all day. That's present enough for me!
So this year, I'm looking forward to this month and my birthday again. My boys will be out of school already, and I have lots of plans for us for the summer. And even though I'm over 40, I feel like my best is yet to come. I've faced tragedy and been strong, I've held my own in a houseful of boys, and I've found a voice through my writing.
Now that the year is one-third over (wow, that was fast), maybe it's time for me to check in with my new year's resolutions. As far as spending more time with my boys, it's been hard with school and homework and sports. But, there's always this summer. And Hubby and I have been pretty good about having at least one date night a month. Just last week we went to dinner and a comedy club, which is something we haven't done since we were dating. We even got to spend some time in the hot tub together.
About trying new things, I haven't really been presented with the opportunity. But believe me, I've been looking. Just this weekend, we were at a water park with water slides that were enclosed in a tube. Seems like no big deal to most, but super scary for me. I don't like dark, enclosed spaces or the idea that some freak accident could happen to me. But, I decided to do it...and it was a blast! I even got Slim to try it with me, and he had a great time, too.
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| Slim and me swooshing out of the water slide tube. |
My goal of writing more has definitely been achieved, as I am posting here at least once a week plus a weekly post on Her View From Home. I've submitted some pieces to other sites, but none have been accepted. That's been discouraging, and I haven't submitted anything lately. So, I think it's time I try again.
That leaves the weight loss and the exercise. And to that end, don't ask.
So here I am in my favorite month, looking outside at the leaves swaying gently in the breeze and the beautiful bright sunshine warming the world. I have hopes for this month, for the summer, and for the rest of the year. I think it's May's influence on me.
"The world's favourite season is the spring.
All things seem possible in May."
Edwin Way Teale
What do you like about your favorite month?
