by Laura

I am a fan of the television show Modern Family. One of the main characters, Phil, absolutely loves this day. He sees it as a gift. A day to take off and do something he has always wanted to do. This episode he was supposed to go trapeze school, but is terrified/ horrified when his wife and two (2) daughter all their lady cycle cycling away. Thirty (30) minutes comedic hilarity ensues; however, it makes you wonder, do we waste this day?

I do. I treat it like any other day. I go to work / church / home; finish my chores; take a nap. Pretty much status quo for any other day. This year won’t be any different. I’ll be in my little brown soulless cubicle wishing I was somewhere else.

The problem here is I don’t know what to reach for. What would you do with an extra day? A gift from the world to even out the clock so eventually summer isn’t in winter (or some other such nonsense only Wikipedia can explain.)

I have mentioned before that I have a toddler. Motherhood has taken me by surprise, not by love and cuteness (those exist) but because of exhaustion. I struggle to identify myself outside of the role. I struggle to exist as a wife and friend – both things I was before and really really hope to hold onto.

Right now, my leap day dream day would be duty free. No dishes, no laundry, no tantrums. Just a nap. A good nap, not the crappy kind where you wake up with a headache and funky teeth; a good nap where you wake up refreshed and ready to go get a pedicure.

Someday, maybe someday, I will leap for something exotic like Fiji or something local like a good burger. Maybe something unusual like a pedicure with those little fish or a day at trapeze school.

While I’m in my cubicle wishing and hoping for that perfect nap, I challenge you to take advantage of the extra day. Dream big or dream small, but dream. You can do it; so can I. I promise to use that pillow I have stashed under my desk and won’t answer my phone from say 2-4 pm if you promise not to disturb me because you’re out doing something fabulous with your extra day.