Neon Perspective…

I walked through Times Square feeling stuffed. My stomach was stuffed with the indulgent meal from earlier where i ate delicate pumpkin tortelli, tender pressed chicken, and cocoa powder encased tiramisu. My mind was stuffed with images from the play we had just left, Driving Miss Daisy, where I watched James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave fill the stage with their story. And now, as I gazed up at the neon lights blazing into the night, every sense felt stuffed to the gills: the sight of the ads two stories high, the smell of exhaust and chili dogs, and the sound of thousands of people talking as they walked all around me.

All of these experiences, so wonderful and different, felt so far away from the 1400 square feet that I spend 90% of my time, felt so noisy compared to the three small voices that usually babble around me, felt so decadent compared to the spaghetti and garlic toast that makes it’s way to our plastic tablecloth covered table.

This is what I came to NYC for…to experience new things, to reconnect with family, and most of all, to regain perspective on a life that often feels overwhelming and out of control. And at that moment in Times Square, I realized that, even though it was great to get a break from being a Mom, I was more than okay with spending my time reading books snuggled up with Madi and Parker and eating goldfish with Fiona. Ben told me the other night that I could have gotten the same break by going to Lansing rather than all the way to NYC, but I am not sure. I think that sometimes you need to be reminded how big the world is to be able to appreciate the tiny chunk of world you live in.    

I am on my last leg of my journey, my last few moments of quiet before descending back into the world of diapers, show and tell, and spelling tests. Frankly, it makes me a little tired to think about it. But it is MY beautiful, crazy, unbalanced life, the one that God chose for me, and I am so thankful for it.

Mama is coming home…with a little bit of neon perspective…    

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