May..be so

Historically, May has always been a month of anticipation for me. As a child, I remember anxiously awaiting the turn of the calendar to that month. It never seemed to get here fast enough. I couldn't wait for summer break and the lazy days with no homework.

May brought different anticipation my senior year of high school. I couldn't wait to be done with schoolwork and was excited about entering the next phase of my life, but I felt pangs of sadness when I knew that since I'd never move back to my hometown after college (*snicker,* we moved back in 2004), I'd likely never see a lot of my classmates again.

When I was in college, I worried what I'd do after the semester ended in May. Would I get a job? Where would I live when the dorms closed? When I reached my senior year of college, May was a terribly scary month. Life as I knew it was going to change forever! I had to get a REAL job (not at the mall) and an apartment.

A couple of years after college, May held brand-new meaning, but still anticipation. May 1999 was the month before my wedding. I had to get wedding details wrapped up, I had to pack, and get ready to begin my life in another brand-new way.

In May of 2000 and 2003, I had another phase of life to anticipate. First, in May 2000, I was thrown a baby shower for my daughter, Emma, who was born in August. In May 2003, I was one month away from becoming a mother of two children, as Luke was born in June of that year.

I am not entirely sure if I should expect any big changes for this May. I guess I've come full circle in that I am eagerly anticipating the end of the school year and all the fun that is planned for summer. I still get a little giddy just looking at the calendar, though.

What does May mean to you?