Idyllic

It was the kind of day that made escaping the hammock difficult. The leaves above danced slowly in the wind - which was just strong enough to rock the hammock with me in it. The rays of the sun shifted through the ever changing canopy above, creating a light show on my closed eyes. The cicadas buzzed from somewhere off in the distance and the afternoon could not have been made more perfect.
But even laying there, completely relaxed as nature gently rocked me, I knew I could not stay this way forever. Responsibility has a way of creeping into even the most perfect of moments and requiring your attention.
School was coming soon and I'd need to register for classes. I had no idea what classes I'd be taking or what would be offered, and that would all have to be figured out. Starting classes meant adjusting my work schedule so I'd have time for both class and studying. This was always the hardest part because it's a shot in the dark. Once I knew my class schedule, I'd still have no idea what kind of workload I'd be under from my professors, and what if work wouldn't allow me to take the time I felt that I needed to succeed at school? School was my "Real Job" and work was just there to provide a paycheck until I finished school, but I still needed work, so I couldn't shirk my responsibilities there either. This would be also be Katie's first year in school and we hadn't bought her school clothes yet. 'Does she need school supplies? We never got a list... maybe I should call the school. I wonder if there's anyone in the office during the summer. There would have to be, parents have questions like this and if they aren't going to communicate the information we need then they better be available to provide it.'
My hammock stopped swinging and it felt a little warmer than it had ten minutes ago.
Jeanette would be starting back to school again soon, and that always meant an increase in her stress level because students are knuckleheads, and that principal she works with doesn't have a clue. I wasn't sure when I'd get to see her now with school and work dominating my time again. Katie would be in school now and she'd be on a similar schedule to Jeanette now, but probably not exactly the same. I had no idea how we'd make it all work out.
The cicadas got louder, and their song grew faster, almost in time with my thoughts.
What about Jack? Would he feel left behind? His best friend was about to start school, and he'd just be going back to the babysitter. 'Is that good parenting? Are we doing our best for him, or just doing what's easy?' Would he be able to adjust to the new paradigm? Should he adjust?
When would I see my kids? Without knowing my schedule, it would be hard to tell, but I knew it would be much less than what I'd been able to do over the summer. Would they miss me? I knew I'd miss them. Would they remember this time when I'd been away from them? Would it affect them? What was I teaching my children?
The hammock was uncomfortable now, my legs were becoming restless, and I knew I couldn't stay here much longer. The cicadas stopped buzzing for a second as if they knew something was coming to an end. I leaned over the edge and slid my sandals on. As I stood up, the wind blew again, drying the sweat on my back and rustling the leaves overhead. I turned and looked at the hammock once more and knew, it was time to go inside.