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I Don’t Want Your Participation Ribbon

Momservation: Is there a ribbon for being the first to quit?

☺           ☺           ☺

Never quit in sight of the finish line.

As an athlete there were many grueling races— literally coming down the home stretch, lungs overtaxed, muscles atrophying—where I had to convince my mind to override my body begging me to quit.

As a track coach it is what I tell my track runners: Why would you throw away ¾ of giving all you had to coast to a mediocre finish?

Finish strong. Always. Anything worth doing is rarely easy, but the feeling of accomplishment from knowing you couldn’t give anymore lasts longer than the pain of your effort.

However, I might have an exception…

056I. Am. Done. With. School.

I want to sit down right now in the middle of this last straightaway and be done with this overscheduled, overinvolved, over-long school year.

I don’t care if everyone runs right by me and I don’t get a participant ribbon. I DON’T WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE!

  • I don’t want to drive to school anymore.

  • I don’t want to pick-up from school anymore.

  • I don’t want to wash anymore PE clothes late Sunday night.

  • I don’t want to do another emergency run to the store for lunch supplies.

  • I don’t want to wake up early so that I can waste a half an hour of good sleep begging my kids to get out of bed.

  • I don’t want to rush to Walgreens for another poster board, flash cards, or binder paper.

  • I don’t want to have to check the Parent Portal again to make sure my kids aren’t lying about homework and test grades.

  • I don’t want to pick up from football practice, volleyball practice, track practice, baseball practice or any other practice.

  • I don’t want to sign another permission slip, write another check, or donate another cookie or cupcake.

  • I don’t want to make any more breakfasts that aren’t eaten because someone’s running out the door late.

  • I don’t want to nag about bedtimes, showers, or getting clothes and backpacks ready the night before.

  • I don’t want to read another newsletter and I don’t want to go to another meeting.

I. Am. Done.

We have spent 168 days in school (and, yes, as Academic Support I include myself in the “we.”) There are 7 more days of school left. The finish line is so close, but yet so far.

I’m exhausted. I’m perpetually grumpy. My brain is overloaded. I want to quit.

But you never quit in sight of the finish line.

Someone better be waiting with an awfully big watermelon margarita and a great beach book on the other side.

#ReadyForSummer

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