TGIF. Although these four letters still hold a positive connotation in my world, they no longer hold the same meaning as they did five years ago.
For me, TGIF (Thank goodness it’s Friday) has changed and grown as I have.
When I was in elementary school, Fridays were all about sleepovers, popcorn, movies, outdoor activities and friends. Fast forward to high school and Fridays now meant the end of the school week, the beginning of the work weekend and a whole lot of fun worked in-between.
University - let’s just say it was a combination of both elementary school and high school, but for the sake of my parents sanity, as well as to not alter their version of my university years and their more than stellar opinion of me, I will not go into detail.
Now in 2013, the prospect of even attempting to work in any of that fun from years past seems to have lost its luster.
TGIF use to mean late nights, late mornings and a whole lot of couch time.
Going out was easy.
I could call my friends and have a plan in place before even walking in my front door. Supper? I didn’t need to worry about food, I’d have a whole lot of liquid later to fill my belly and whether or not I reconnected with my pillow before the break of dawn was irrelevant because I could sleep all day if I wanted too.
Ha, now – if I want to go out I have to call all of my friends on Monday, giving them time to find a sitter or work out a weekend schedule with their husbands, which in itself I know to be a challenge.
Supper is a must. First of all, the kids gotta eat and second, if I don’t eat, the following morning is going to be far worse than if I do.
And last, as much as I want to stay out and watch the sun rise, that little voice inside my head telling me I will regret that decision about 10 minutes after sunrise when my two little monkeys are jumping on my bed, always wins the battle.
Rewind back to Monday. Before I even call my friends I go through a list of pros and cons. On Monday the pros always seem too way-out the cons. Come Friday I am trying to find even one good reason why I am even contemplating leaving my house.
TGIF? Once a source of late night fun has morphed into a quiet bath and a glass of wine.
Don’t get me wrong I love a night out with my husband and/ or friends, but the idea of a hangover and happy, energetic, bouncy children first thing in the morning just doesn’t seem to mesh.
I would much rather relax, go to bed early, wake up refreshed and enjoy my couple of days off.
Now, if the kids were to go on a mini-vacation to grams and papa’s house for the weekend, I might just go a little retro and hit up a vintage TGIF night with the girls … nah, who I am I kidding, a vintage bottle of wine, a whole lot of peace and quiet and some time with myself seem like the perfect TGIF to me.
