Dear Monica, Age 56

Dear Monica, Age 56,

Today, I realized that Monica, age 56, will not remember the true Monica, age 36.  In twenty years, as a coping mechanism, my mind will have blocked out how extremely hard parenting truly was.  I've seen this with my mom.  No offense, Mom, but I kind of doubt Monica, age 2, potty-trained herself and would sleep through the night without wetting the bed.

I think human nature has evolved so that children wake up their parents in the middle of the night to purposely cause sleep-deprivation.  This in turn causes parents', and especially moms', brains to turn to mush so that they will continue to procreate.

So, Dear Monica, age 56, here is a tiny reminder of the "fun" times in Monica, age 36's, life:

~You were so tired, you eyes were in a constant state of blurry vision.  Focusing on things took much more effort than ever before.

~You were so forgetful, you couldn't remember if you worked or had the day off when climbing into bed.  If you worked, you had a hard time naming the co-workers you had just spent 8 hours with.

~You were so forgetful, you left your wedding ring at the tanning salon.  Thirty minutes later, when you ran back to get it, it was gone.  You were too drained to truly grieve over the loss.

~You were so exhausted that by the end of the day, disciplining your children seemed more of a chore than tolerating their antics.  Plus, you hoped their screaming and fighting would wear them out so that they would sleep just a little more.

~You were burning you candle at both ends and didn't have enough time most weeks to even watch a 30 minute sit-com on t.v.  If you did get the time, you sat through the entire episode thinking of other things that needed to be done.

~You cancelled breakfast with an old friend that you were desperate to see just so you could catch your breath for an hour.  (Sorry, Rita, age 29!)

~Your brain doesn't fire on all cylinders, so your co-workers and your three-year-old have to finish your sentences for you.

So, Dear Monica, age 56, you get the idea.  I can only hope I will look back on these years and be reminded of that great Garth Brooks song's lyrics, "I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance".  


Here's to hoping the rest of this parenting thing is one big dance!
Monica, Age 36