It's been 4 years since my last blog post, but I've been so busy watching and re-watching Downton Abbey that I just couldn't find a moment.
Truthfully though, I haven't really felt the inclination to write - at first, because I had been going through a tough time when I last posted and I really didn't feel like recording that period of my life.
Blogging had always served a purpose - it helped me process my feelings and thoughts. Often, I'd start a post in a state of emotional turmoil and then gradually, as I wrote, I'd start to make sense of what I was feeling and even find some sort of resolution - a process which, more often than not, filled me with a feeling of calmness and serenity.
Which is what prompted my return to blogging after a ridiculous 4 year hiatus. This morning I found myself emotionally overwhelmed. I had returned from dropping the kids at school and found myself alone at home with only my sadness for companionship. I paced up and down the house, not knowing how to stem the wave of grief threatening to engulf me. Then, quite by chance, I happened upon my old blogging laptop where I sat down to write my sadness away.
"Today is my boy, Shakeel’s last day in school uniform and I’m sad. Really, really sad. Ridiculously so. My kids know how sentimental I am, so we’ve all been anticipating this day for months already – Shakeel viewing it with nervous dread, as today we also attend the valedictory assembly, which promises to be a rather emotional experience for even the most emotionally healthy parent (a category in which I obviously don’t find myself).
He recently watched
in horror as I bawled my eyes out to the episode of Modern Family where Luke
graduates from high school. He descended into near-despair as he watched me
snot-sobbing to the episode of The Middle where Axel graduates and heads off to
college. (Yes, I may have a comedy-series addiction, but that’s a problem for
another day.)
But I
assured him that I’d keep it together today. I would not embarrass him, I
promised. But then my recent behavior hasn’t exactly inspired confidence. On more than one occasion this week, he has caught
me sneakily snapping pictures of him from the car outside his school when I
dropped him off or picked him up. Let me tell you, I have new respect for the
paparazzi. It’s not easy sneaking pictures of a young boy outside a school
without looking like a pervert. And his anger was real – reminding me of Justin
Bieber’s violent altercations with the paparazzi back in the day. (What? I may
be a middle-aged aunty, but I still know stuff.)
 |
| Looking back in angrily when I ordered him to stop for a picture after getting out of the car this morning |
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| Being photographed by a stalker in a car as he walked off to school yesterday morning |
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| All 4 of my babies together in uniform for the last time 😢😢😢 |
So when he
told me this morning that he’d forgotten something at home that I’d have to
drop off at the school's front office this morning, I did not yell at him for being
irresponsible (as I had done on the 40 previous occasions I’d had to do this for him.) He
looked confused as I smiled gratefully, as if he’d given me a gift. I was
pleased that I’d get to do this for him for the last time. I’d better not
forget to take my camera along to capture the moment."
