The month of May has always been busy for me. When our children were younger, my friend Corin and I used to lament about how the month of May seemed even more hectic than December.

There were dance and piano recitals, end of the year school programs and parties, athletic awards programs and graduations to name a few of the many planned events.

May was also typically the month you would need to sign up for any summer programs you wanted your child to attend. Some of the most sought after happenings had time limit requirements, and if a mother did not act fast, her kid would be left out.

This year, it seems the month of May has taken on a completely new life of its own since my two youngest children will say their farewells to college and high school.

Luckily, my son’s graduation from Mississippi State University did not require me to run around acting like a chicken with its head cut off. In fact, it was a welcome relief to see that he has grown into a pretty self-sufficient young man and did not even need my assistance in packing and moving him to the next phase of his life. All I had to do was travel to Starkville and enjoy the weekend.

The high school graduation, however, has not been quite as stress-free. I admit, it is my own fault, but “Mama” wants everything to be perfect!

In my desire to try to create an oasis of beauty for a brunch, I have nearly pulled my hair out fretting over trying to get the house clean, the yard trimmed up and, certainly, the menu mapped out for the occasion.

Unfortunately, my days of enjoying the art of cooking have long passed. I think my desire to be Julia Child died after the kids started driving. No one was home at the same time, and to try to whip up a gourmet meal that could be reheated in the microwave just seemed wrong.

So, I became friends with Mrs. Stouffer. She is wonderful; not only does she provide delicious meals, she makes it easy for me to clean the kitchen!

Work has gotten in the way of me cleaning the house, but my boss has promised me some time off next week so I can catch up.

The yard on the other hand has been a work in progress. I love working and piddling outside, but I am no spring chicken anymore. Trimming and putting out pine straw have reminded me of my age, but I refused to stop until the job was done.

Last week when I was lugging bales of pine straw from the front yard to the back yard, I passed through one of the arbors in the yard where I had planted Carolina jasmine a few years back.

I caught a whiff of the blooms and could not help but smile.

Nature jumped out and reminded me to soak up and enjoy life’s moments.

It seems like only yesterday my children were running around the house excited about their school year ending and summer vacation to enjoy.

Now they are all grown with lives of their own.

I wonder if I will miss the busyness of May?