Dear twenty something girl at Target…
Hi, it’s me. I was that thirty-something Mom trying to wrangle up my feisty nineteen-month old today while you were shopping. Her screams of “No, noooo” obviously interrupted your bathing suit browsing because you sent that half pity/half annoying so glad my future kid will never act like that look my way. I recognized that look right away because not long ago that I used to give that same exact look to Moms with sassy tots. As for your theory of My kid will never act like that… just keep telling yourself that. If not for that theory, our population would be at risk.
I don’t know your name or for that matter anything about you, but in some ways I know everything about you. It turns out that I used to be you. I’m guessing you rolled out of bed at around 11 am today after a Friday happy hour with your girlfriends that lasted until 9 pm. By the looks of it you skipped your shower (that’s what headbands and ponytails are for, right?), and picked up a Starbucks en route to run some errands.
I’m guessing that after your Target trip, you picked up some Wendy’s and hung out on your futon enjoying some DVR then you took a nap. You might have spent a few hours obsessing over when Mr. Perfect will pop the question or what your college roommates are planning to pack for your upcoming girls weekend. And you were probably just getting into the shower to go out for the night while we were finishing up tubby time just a few blocks away in Mommyland.
Just so you know, when I saw you this morning I was surprisingly nostalgic for a brief moment. I wouldn’t trade my life for a single second but I saw you and I had flashbacks to what life was like before responsibilities… no independent “I want to walk” baby, no 10-lb diaper bag, no mortgage, no need to even consider buying a one piece bathing suit (because those are clearly only for Moms).
And in case you didn’t catch the look I sent back your way (in fact I’m sure you didn’t), my look was saying this…
Hey twenty-something, I hope you’re enjoying your carefree life right now. Get pedis, sleep in, drink an extra cocktail, stay out late, pay off bills, take road trips and really enjoy every minute you can get with your girlfriends because someday (sooner than you realize) your priorities will shift. Your life will be even become even better than it is now but your days full of relaxing, watching TV and taking naps will disappear. Relish every single second while you can because once it’s gone it won’t return. But on a good note, it turns out that the best, most grounded and most appreciative 30-something Moms are created from the experiences of the uninhibited, fun and free 20-something… Enjoying it now means that you won’t miss it one bit when you give it up for your kids. Trust me, it’s completely worth it.
Thank you 20-something girl! You reminded me how grateful I am that a fun past has led me to an even better future. Cheers to you, your fun 20’s and your even better 30’s!
Sincerely,
Erin (aka the 30-something Mom who went to Target to find lamps but walked away with something even better — a walk down memory lane and a deep appreciation for my current, crazy non-bikini-wearing life)
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At least you won’t get dirty looks here when your kids are rowdy
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