I know, I know. I’m a mom. I can’t just walk away for a year while someone else packs the school lunches, drives my kids to school, and does all the thousand little tasks that amount to motherhood. Even if that was an option, I would not take it. I feel called to be a Stay-at-Home mom so that is what I am going to do.

But I also feel called to write, and the past nine months, I have had very, very little time to write. For the 2020-2021 school year, I am going to make sure I get the time to write by taking a sabbatical from all the work I do for my children’s schools.

Julian is currently in his second of three years at a co-op preschool. I love his preschool, the teachers, the parents, and I have devoted extra time to volunteering beyond the basic requirements. I have served as a board member in charge of the book fair. This was fun and fulfilling, but after this school year, but for Julian’s last year of preschool, I am retiring from that role. Someone else can do that extra work for the school.

I am a Room Parent for Pippa’s first grade class. I was Room Parent last year for her kindergarten class. Next year? Someone else can do that job.

I will still be involved with my children’s education. And I am sure I will be Room Parent again. Maybe I’ll run the book fair at their elementary school in a few years. But right now, I am depleted. I need to write more. If I don’t, I will feel like a shadow of my best self. It is time to apply the principles of crop rotation to my life and let myself lie fallow for a school year.

Whew. I feel like I can more gracefully handle my extra responsibilities this school year knowing that next year, I will let them go and invest the extra time in myself.