There are two months out of the year that I completely lose my mind - December and May. This May was exceptionally hectic - my daughter's birthday (which for some reason included 3 separate parties), planning and running a Brownie meeting, hauling the kids to their spring sporting events, school projects, field trips, work deadlines...our calendar overflows with everything we have going on. But through all the chaos, I usually get it all done - it might be last minute, it may not be pretty, but it gets done.
Please note that I used the term usually.
One of the many events this month was a Staff Appreciation luncheon at my daughter's elementary school. I sign up every year to bring in a dish because as a working Mom, I can't always volunteer for the classroom events and field trips. But, make something?! Oh yes - I am on that!!!
This year's luncheon was a "Western" theme - the coordinator of the event is no joke and takes it to the highest level. Seriously - there was an actual wagon wheel, stuffed horse, homemade banner crafted from a bandana and fence as part of the decor! It is a Pinterest pinner's dream!! So, she sets a pretty high bar.
I signed up for a Pasta Salad...but, of course, in my mind it couldn't be JUST a plain old pasta salad when there is a theme involved!!! I spent time searching different recipes, brainstorming creative takes on it, etc. I finally had my concept, was all prepared to make the salad on Thursday night and thought I had a fun spin on how to make a pasta salad fit in with the Western theme. I had visions of teachers scooping the salad on their plates asking aloud "What fabulous Mom made this salad??".
As I am jotting down a grocery list in my office Thursday morning, I get a text from another volunteer mom asking if I was going to be bringing in my salad for the luncheon...the luncheon that was Thursday, not Friday.
Oh. My. Gosh.
Panic. Stress. Embarrassment. Near tears. Mom Fail. The visions of teachers singing my praises were quickly replaced with new HORRIFYING visions of mothers and teachers staring at an empty section of the table asking what irresponsible and lazy Mom signed up to bring something and never showed!!!! With my office being 30 minutes from the school, I didn't even have time to run to the store and buy a generic pasta salad and put in a dish that looked like I made it (remember Sara Jessica Parker doing this for her daughter's bake sale in "I Don't Know How She Does it?)- I was literally going to be a no show.
So, I called a co-worker who I had been updating on my latest creative culinary contribution (who thinks that I am a little over the top with most of my activities) and I told her what happened, hoping for a empathetic ear.
Empathy? Far from it it - she laughed. She laughed so hard she couldn't breathe.
Then all the sudden, I started laughing...I couldn't help it. The irony of the situation - all my planning, all my pride in how I balance it all and never miss a beat. Well, I missed it and I missed it big time.
But you know what?? Insert Oprah "Ah-ha Moment"...I lived. As far as I know, I haven't been blacklisted from the volunteer list at the school. I emailed the coordinator after I got off the phone with my co-worker and she wrote back that they had more than enough food and that she knew it wasn't like me to forget (so they weren't all staring at the empty space on the table cursing my name afterall!!). Everyone was going to be okay - including the over scheduled, can't say no, hates the thought of disappointing anyone, voted "Most Responsible" Mom/Wife/Co-Worker.
Failure is not fatal - Winston Churchill
I don't like to fail - it is a terrible feeling (yes, I am a people pleaser). But it is true that you learn your biggest lessons when you fail and I learned that life rolls on even when I screw up. Forgetting the pasta salad doesn't mean that I love my kids any less or that I am terrible Mom. To survive a Mom Fail (and I am sure this will not be my last) means that I forgive myself and can even laugh about it a little. I am human and I do my best everyday...some days are just better than others!!
For the record, I did end up making my Cowboy Pasta Salad at a later date for my family (as if I would let my planning go to waste!!) and it was very yummy!!
