Life Keeps Getting in the Way

My apologizes for disappearing off the grid for a time. As my title suggests life keeps getting in the way. Typically May is a very busy printing month for me. I do the invitations for the Friends of our library annual meeting, several local newsletters, the programs for the annual Veterans Memorial Day etc. etc. I think you get the drift. It all seems to happen this month.This past week I needed to get ready for a visit from my parents (as well as work my regular job). They came yesterday and will be leaving Thursday morning. One of their motivating reasons for visiting is that Derek has a percussion ensemble recital tonight and a jazz recital tomorrow, which brings me to my next distraction.

I alway thought when the kids were little how busy life was and that it would get better at some point. I'm still waiting. Yes, some things are better. Everyone can bathe, feed and dress themselves and use the potty. All very important things. Having teenagers/young adults has introduced me to a new kind of busy. Worry seems to be my theme, will they be happy, be able to financially care for themselves one day, fine a career and survive college to name a few things.

Derek is very focused at college and doing very well. He wanted to get out of the dorm for next year having grown tired of other kids all night parties and going to the bathroom to find that someone threwup at some point. He and 3 other guys found an apartment very close to where the majority of his classes are. I was happy about that. He's had to trudge at least a mile each way to classes in some pretty nasty weather this past year and through heavy city traffic. Any way on May 1st the lease was signed and the guys moved in. Derek typically comes home for the weekends because he wants to see his girlfriend, get a break from campus living and get his laundry done. On Satuday he received a call from one of his roommates letting him know that there had been some problem Friday night and they had been beaten up by a hispanic gang and were leaving the apartment. The details are vague. It sounds like his roommates had been having a party of some sort and the gang accused them of wrecking their car. I don't know that we'll ever fully know the details. I'm thankful Derek was not there. One of the kids got beat up pretty bad, broken nose, messed up jaw. Understandably the kids and their parents are very shaken up. Now we have to figure out what to do about next year and hope they can get out of the lease. I'm looking back now on the days when they were little and realizing how easy it all was back then.