I have a confession to make. I rather enjoy awkward silence. I find it delicious, much like a super dry wine or powerful wasabi. It’s not for everybody. So as you can imagine, I found myself not squirming uncomfortably at my 10-year reunion recently. Before the adult beverages started flowing, the conversation didn’t. But that’s ok (at least with me). By the end of the night, I think we all agreed a good time was had (either that, or those adult beverages convinced us otherwise). While I enjoyed seeing old friends, and reconnecting with those I hadn’t seen in a decade, I couldn’t help but make a few observations (that’s just the writer in me). So, if you’re considering whether or not to attend your next reunion, here are a a few reasons why you …
Children will eat you alive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Hey. You two. With the lovey-dovey nicknames and hands that seem magnetized to each other’s backsides. I have a bit of news for you. Right now, you’re enjoying the freedom of youth and childlessness. As you should be. Live it up. Live it up now.
Because someday, you’ll be just like me. Maybe not within the next five years, but probably within the next ten. No? You think you’re so different? You think you will forge a different path to parentdom? Maybe. But I doubt it. Few get by unscathed. If you think parenting is as hip as the celebs make it look in that glossy magazine you’re reading, then you’d better find out a way to get rich real quick.
Soon enough, you’ll be the …
I finally stepped out to face my fears…and set myself free.
A heart never beats as loudly as when you’re crouched behind the backside of an open door, peeking out through the open hinge, and staring at your arch nemesis. Why was she here? How did she know where to find me? My grandparent’s house was supposed to be safe. Supposed to be off limits. Yet here I was, hiding from her hideous face, the blue Snoopy-print cafe curtains slightly stirring from the ceiling fan in the toy room.
I willed my lungs to stop working, if just for a moment. Each inhale and exhale seemed to echo through the room. Soon, she would find me. I feared I would wet myself. I was a child. And terrified. Absolutely panic-stricken. What would she do to me? …
Crystal (center) with Chloe (right) and Dylan (left)
In many ways, Crystal Hinnen is just like any other average mom, battling typical problems with her kids. She is often up with her son in the middle of the night, or early in the morning, after only several hours of sleep. She’s also working with him on potty training, a difficult task all moms can relate to. But here’s the thing. Her son Dylan isn’t a toddler, as you might expect. He’s 12. And he has autism.
Fortunately, autism is now a familiar term, thanks to awareness campaigns and educational efforts. But autism isn’t a buzzword, or a celebrity cause, or just another charity 5k. Autism is real. And families who care for a loved one with autism will tell you it affects everything. Everything.
Crystal Hinnen, preschool …
Moms, some days it’s hard to let ourselves be loved exactly how we are. We think he must be up to something when he shows affection. How could he possibly be attracted to this? Doesn’t he see these dark circles? Doesn’t he feel the extra pounds I’ve put on? When we reject ourselves, we can end up rejecting others without even realizing it.
You wonder why I wonder
Why you’re staring at me
When I look in the mirror
I don’t see what you see
I see a tired mother
You see a grown-up girl
I see an empty shell
You see your whole world
I rarely put on makeup
You hardly seem to mind
I stress and fret and fuss
You just want me to unwind
I worry that you’ll …
It’s late at night. The kids are in bed. The house is blissfully quiet. I slip into something comfortable. I sip a glass of wine. With lights down low and my eyes heavy with desire, I head into the bedroom with one thing in mind. My husband awaits me. We’ve both been anticipating this moment all day. I feel no shame about what I’m about to do. My body gives in to my deepest desires…as I unabashedly smoosh my face into my pillow and sink into an open-mouth drooling slumber.
Not long ago, I came across an article on Babble about things moms do at the end of the day to unwind. One of the more common pastimes? Porn. Are you kidding me?! Who are these moms? Aren’t they exhausted? Who has the time …