Saturday

I remember when the weekends meant something to me. Dan & I worked during the week, the kids went to school and the weekends were a time for outdoor chores, sleeping late (for the kids anyway), going to church, attending sports events, visiting with family and friends; the weekend marked a change in our normal routine.

Now, I sometimes have to consult a calendar to even realize that it is the weekend. It's not because of memory loss, it's because of change in lifestyle. There are no kids here to remind me that it's the weekend because they're not going to school. Dan & I still work, but not at 9-5 office jobs MTWTF. We still go to church, but sometimes it's by listening to the sermon over the Internet. The weekends are no longer a time for running errands, we do that whenever we get the chance. They're no longer a time for rest and relaxation. If Dan doesn't have to work on a weekend day, then we're running around trying to catch up on everything that we've let slide.

On the whole, I appreciate our 24/7/365 lifestyle. I grew up in Kansas when the "Blue Laws" were still in effect and the malls and stores (except grocery stores) weren't open on Sundays until I was way up in high school. I was so thrilled when that change came about. I love 24 hour grocery stores. It's not that I shop at 1 am, it's just that I like knowing that I can shop at 1 am if I choose to.

But sometimes, like this morning, I miss the weekends of the past.