Forgotten

When I was in seventh grade I played basketball.  I still remember my coach, his name was Chris Church and I remember that he loved the Band The Who.  We all kind of had a crush on this coach because he was young and cute and we were, well 12 and that's what 12 years old do.   Anyway, the crush we had on our coach is extraneous information, back to the story. One night we arrived in the parking lot coming home from an away game.  All my team mates exited the bus with me and waited patiently in the parking lot for all of our parents to come and pick us up.  One by one, all my friends were picked up until finally is was just Coach and me waiting for my parents to pick me up.  Fifteen minutes passed, the 30 minutes, and finally an hour.  Yes, my parents, I'm sure busy trying to keep up with all five of us, had forgotten that I needed to be picked up.  It was such a tragic event in my life, I swore that I, as a parent, would NEVER forget to pick up my own children one day.

Recently Jake decided he wanted to join the after school chess club.  This club meets once a week on Wednesday until 3:40 pm.  When he brought home the form for me to sign, we discussed that I work every other week and he can only attend the Wednesdays I don't work.  He understood and turned in his form.  That very Wednesday I was off from work.  Thinking that he and I had clearly understood that he would attend every Wednesday I didn't work Jake attended the chess club that afternoon.  No mention to me that he would need to be picked up that afternoon.  What Jake didn't realize is I barely distinguish one weekday from another.  Many are the days that I really have to focus to know which day it truly is.  So, I went on with my day completing all the chores that I have to get accomplished on my days off.  Arriving home at 5:00 pm, Riley greets me and asks, "Where's Jake?"  To which I replied, "I don't know.  Where's Jake?"  To which he responded, "MOM!  You were supposed to pick him up at the school.  He went to chess club"  To which I asked frantically, "What time was I supposed to pick him up and why didn't he tell me?"  3:40.  3:40 was when I was supposed to pick him up.  I instantly put my car in reverse and headed back up to pick up my forgotten son hoping this wouldn't affect him for life and imagining the many chastisements the school supervisor would be giving me when I arrived.  Soon I was at the school and there was Jake sitting by a team practicing soccer all by himself teary-eyed and worried.  I felt like the worst mom ever and couldn't believe I had forgotten to pick him up.  I had forgotten it was Wednesday.

As soon as he got in the car we discussed what he needed to do if I wasn't prompt ever in the future.  We discussed making sure the supervising teacher knew we were still there.  I made sure he memorized my cell phone and I apologized profusely.  You can guarantee now, he and I both make sure I know when it's chess club Wednesday.