By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher
Flying high in a helicopter last August with no doors. Yes, I was in the middle. I made AJ change seats with me.
Back to school has had an entirely new meaning in the Kaminski household for the past few years. With our babies grown and flown – and even finished with college – this time of year is just not how it used to be. It’s changed – and not for the better.
Back to school now is a solid three plus weeks of Mr. Kaminski being MIA. I know he’s still living; I see his dirty dishes in the kitchen every morning. And honestly, it’s been this way for the past few years, but this year, I am definitely feeling a certain kind of way about it.
You see, Mr. Kaminski has to get his ducks rowed up for tending to hordes of itty bitties at multiple locations. It’s a lot – truly. This time of year for him manifests itself into late, late nights, early, early mornings and no “me” time. Now when I say “me” time, y’all know I’m talking about me – not him – right?
Mr. Kaminski is worn slap out on the daily, and he does not exude a Christ-like attitude. So, I do what any good wife would do: I try to help. For the most part, that doesn’t work out. I just get on his nerves by asking, talking, breathing, existing. So, I go on and do my thing, knowing the stress of the circumstances are at a Mach 10 level for him and focus on giving as much grace as humanly possible. And I have to focus really, really hard, because one of us has to be a good Christian about this situation, and I’m up. But there’s a definite, almost eerie absence that’s frankly on my nerves, one that is completely disquieting to me. Am I that accustomed to the ball and chain that when set free for extended periods of time, I don’t function well?
Now don’t get me wrong. Mr. Kaminski does try to make a dinner engagement with me at least once a week, but it’s always late in the evening. Unfortunately, missing dinner time tends to make me cranky, and he’s exhausted, so it’s just not enough juice for the squeeze.
Proof Mr. Kaminski does remember me – awwww!
I was thinking about last year at this time, surprised that I couldn’t recall this hectic pace with me feeling this certain kind of way. Am I experiencing memory loss, I contemplated? Then, Facebook enlightened me with a photo from the first of August last year. It was a picture of me, on a helicopter, in Hawaii with Lucas, Tommy and AJ. There it is, I thought. I had skipped this entire unfortunate agenda last year by leaving the continental United States.
Lesson learned I’m already planning for next year. Lucas has already done his time babysitting me, so I’ve got to find a new taker for August 2025 to get me out of the school slump. Volunteers are welcome.
And just when my feeling a certain kind of way hit its peak, Mr. Kaminski came home – late – with flowers, just for me. I swear I didn’t say a thing, but Mr. Kaminski says I don’t need words. My face says it all. See y’all next week – on the porch!
Patti Parish-Kaminski
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