The school year ending does not automatically clear the mental load. I wish it did. It would be lovely if the last day of school came with a reset button that cleared the appointments, errands, bills, meals, schedule changes, emotional check-ins, and random reminders that have been living in your head since March. Instead, summer usually changes the shape of…
Somewhere near the end of May, I always get the same feeling. The school year is ending, the calendar starts shifting, and for a few hopeful minutes, it feels like summer might be slower this time. Then the real version of summer shows up with snacks, laundry, rides, sunscreen, late nights, appointments, and people asking what we are doing today…
There is a very specific kind of tired that happens when your home is technically functioning, but only because you keep remembering everything. The laundry gets done because you notice it. Dinner happens because you figure it out at 4:46 PM with a prayer and whatever is thawed. The appointments happen because you remember the text, the email, the sticky…