Holidays are meant to be savoured and enjoyed, and for this mom and her high-achieving daughter, they’re also a time to bond and take it easy before the hard work of the new school term starts all over again
My cellphone rang out that familiar personalised message tone that I have reserved for my daughter. That sound can rouse me from my deepest snooze, and have me leaving the house in under 2.5 seconds.
I didn’t expect it to ring out 25 minutes before the end of the school day, on the last day of term. And yet, there it was. Having known she was involved in a silent, yet very important, awareness campaign at school that day, my immediate thought was: She’s done it. She’s wrangled herself into detention, and I could not be prouder.
But it was not to be. Instead of being confirmed as a rabble rouser, she was instead confirmed as having come first in class. I burst into tears and sat down. I was excited for her, I was proud of her, and I was…astonished.
This year has not been kind to us. While we’ve been prepared for most of the strange life-tumbles, some have been significantly unfair. Burrowed into it is a high intensity schedule, that sees her studying until late and sleeping too little.
The idea of home schooling hasn’t been far from my daydreams, but I don’t have the chutzpah to manage it. She might, but I don’t.
I cancelled my meetings for the day, and headed to our local mall to spoil her a bit. A new book, some things for her room, and a little window-shopping later, I realised: we can turn off our alarm clocks for the next three weeks. Yes, please!
We’re a couple of weeks into the holidays now, and those too-early wakeups have been skillfully avoided. My desire to go for that morning walk has been hindered by the long, dark mornings, and I’m aware that I’ll probably add a little winter wonder around my belly for a few weeks. I’m okay with this.
The idea of packing her holidays with things to do, people to see, and places to visit, has never appealed to me. As she’s grown up, the notion of scheduling a jam-packed holiday, only to follow it up with a busy term schedule, simply will not do. Instead, we pick out Busy Days, Do Nothing Days, and Important Days.
As she started her holiday season, she turned 14. A flurry of must-do events, friends, sleepovers, and sweet singing ensued. We followed it with a few quiet days in, and more birthday celebrations (mine), before topping it off with the best idea for a holiday at home: a second tea station upstairs. No longer do we need to walk downstairs in the middle of the night to make hot chocolate. Instead, we’ve got it right by our beds.
There’s an element of seasonal change that comes with slowing down. As the winter sun rises later, so do we. As the sun sets earlier, we turn in earlier to read, watch telly, or snooze. Pyjamas are now daywear, and the dogs have taken to staying up late too. There’s LEGO, and books, long dinners, and quick showers.
The season of Netflix, naps, and no responsibilities is here. I wish it could be like this, all the time, throughout the year.
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