Friendly Reminder from the Head of Mars

forgive the blur -- photo taken on my phone

Reader, I have been Away.

The last time I was Away was in 2008 for an overnight at the World Famous Medical Clinic. I'm not counting it.

The time before that was the summer of 2006. I was Away one night.

The time before that was the spring of 2004. I was Away one night.

In case you haven't noticed, yes, I am keeping track. By my count (including this most recent trip) I have been Away 5 days and 4 nights since I became a mother in 2001.

Obviously, I don't get Away enough. I know this, and yet, getting Away is always harder than it sounds, isn't it?

But I did get Away this last weekend for a long weekend in Chicago with my mom. Way long time ago, I worked a corporate job based in Chicago. Going past my old office was one of those "worlds collide" moments. My life is so completely different now than it was when I was running through airports in a suit and high heels, catching a plane to Chicago, DC, or Atlanta for a meeting. Me-Now looked at that office building and wondered if Me-Then really could've been me? Me-Now asked Me-Then about running through the airport in the high heels: How did you do that?

But I digress. My point here is that it was so refreshing to get away, to be amidst a throng of people on a city street, to breathe in the Lake Michigan air, to be jolted by unfamiliar and once-familiar sights.

My favorite jolt came from the head of Mars. We spent some time at the Chicago Art Institute, gem of the Midwest, and of all the beautiful, intricate, artful objects there, the head of Mars was the one that spoke loudest to me. And here's what the head of Mars said: "Look, I had my day and you have yours. I might last longer than you, but at least you have a nose. This world, this life, are too incredible to fathom. Here I am looking at you across the centuries and the seas. Please forgive the expression, ma'am, but make hay while the sun shines."

I was glad for the friendly reminder.