The morning hustle
Sounds busier than usual
I peek out the window
Ah! Kids with backpacks, masks in tow
Hold “First Day” boards and
smile for their moms’ cameras
For eighteen years
The bustle of a school day morning
packing lunches, scurrying around for misplaced stuff
walks to bus stops
waits In carpool lines seemed eternal
an integral part of my life.
Not today –
The kids have flown
I now have moments to dwell
Do I miss the morning hustle?
Am I relieved to be away from the midst of eager and anxious parents?
How will I fill the vastness of this time?
Go back to bed?
Just then, a furry paw
whacks me hard in the leg
“I’m still here mommy
And my food bowl is empty.
Move it!”
Every mommy needs a dog 
Vidya Writes 