It's Sunday morning, 10:30ish, I'm without a shower, teeth are brushed, my hair is pulled back in a headband in a semi effort to look like I can be seen to let the dogs out, but nothing more. I'm doing a month's worth of ironing, the kids are dressed but hair isn't brushed, not sure if their teeth are either. Clothes are spread all over the house as I'm working to finally pack away the summer wardrobes for three kids. The doorbell rings and my husband offers to go get it.
He opens the door to find a woman dressed as I would call "business casual". Make up, hair done, and dressed for a meeting or calling on a friend you haven't seen in a few years. He asks if he can help her and she asks if this is Jennifer's house. He replies with a simple yes, and continues to just stare. "Well, we have a play date", she says. "By all means, come on in".
They walk to the back of the house and I holler, "who was it?" Michael coolly replies, "hey, your play date is here". Of course the first thing she says is "oh, did you forget?" Now this is where I wish I could do so many things over, other than have remembered in the first place. I say, "oh no, of course not". Why, Why, Why? Why couldn't I have just said, "oh my, I'm so sorry, but wow, I'm so happy to see you and glad you remembered". But instead I continued to put on this act that I was fully ready for her arrival. Also, if there is one thing I can't do well, it's act. I was so embarrassed to have forgotten, but now I'm even more horrified that I tried to cover it up. Maybe it's because I don't know her too well. Or maybe because she is always so well put together that I didn't want to seem so flaky. But instead I just looked like a fool that can't admit to having forgotten something. I really wish I could do the whole morning over again. First I would have taken a shower. Second, I would have looked at the calendar. If I failed those two, then I would have at least been honest and said, sorry, I'm so forgetful now that I'm working again- who am I kidding, I've always been a little forgetful. In the past as a stay at home mom, my few scheduled social interactions played a bigger part in my life and now I try to focus on way to many things. I beat myself up over the things I have forgotten since going back to work, like bringing an apple to school for my preschooler's project, or sending a birthday card to my cousin who ALWAYS remembers mine. Is it really working that is making me forget since I'm spread so thin, or am I just getting older and more forgetful? Heck, I turn 40 in a few weeks, what can I expect?
4 comments:
Recently, I was lamenting the fact that I had trouble remembering things to a friend of mine. I told her that I never used to need lists and that now I forget to bring the lists even when I remember to write them! I was blaming it on old age also. She very kindly explained that of course it is because I am getting older. But it's not the aging that is causing the memory loss. It is that as we age, we have so much more to remember! Think about it, whereas once I was only held accountable for myself, I now have 3 small children to remember things for as well as a husband to help-not to mention a house to keep on top of. Plus, as we get older, we know more people and are expected to remember things about them also-such as birthdays and children's names. It's no wonder that we don't remember everything! And anyway, who plans a play date for Sunday morning??
Ah, who does plan a playdate for Sunday morning? I know, we should be going to church, right? How do you know we didn't go Saturday night? But I do think you are right, I do have a lot to remember. I was just reading a book about organizing and it mentioned if you keep an official list in a designated spot such as a computer, and never deviate, then you don't have to remember the list or as many trival chores in your life. Funny how I started the computer list a few weeks ago, and I'm more productive, but I still manage to miss a play date.
Church??? Are you kidding me? I was thinking that's the day I get to sleep in and let my husband make french toast for me and the kids!
I forget things just walking from one room to another. I think I lost all memory while I was pregnant with the twins. I never had to write things down before....now there are lists everywhere. :)
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