Mommy Mariam Coming to an End?

School was starting and my parent’s vacation was coming to a close. I was ready to meet my parents with open hands not only to thank them after understanding how much effort they put into my siblings and I, but also to relieve some of the responsibility off my back, especially after running last minute errands.

I had gone on an expedition to Parkland to take the placement test for Anatomy since I didn’t have any ACT scores. I had my amazing best friends, Carmen and Sofia, assist me as I dealt with the $460 bill and registration of the dual credit class at Parkland. We spent most of the day finishing our to-do lists before the end of Ramadan and the start of school.

Everything was getting a little more hectic as I counted the days till my parent’s arrival. Thankfully, my siblings were going to start school a couple days later than me so I didn’t have to worry about their transportation to and from school. I was still behind on a lot of sleep after accommodating my days and nights to the Ramadan schedule and the family, like what a responsible parent would do. I was also forced to put forth my study mood for the year, especially since junior year was when things were supposed to get serious.

I went through sleepless nights and starving days, and with Ramadan coming to an end I was shocked by my ability to handle such a situation. The tasks I upheld throughout my parent’s absence gave me a real sense of what it felt like to care for my siblings. Even having gone through the morning drives to Bara’s annoying soccer practices, Malaak’s angelic yet emphatic behavior, and Raneem’s (sometimes) defiant attitude to my advice, I was ready to tackle any task that involved taking care of young ones.

Maybe not any task, but most tasks because after all, it was my experience as a mom.

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