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I am a Band Mom.

 October is a FALL month. October is also "Marching Band" month. If you ever had a child in the school/ college band, you would know what I am talking about. The school Marching Bands all over the country are busy this month with competitions and playing at school football games. Marching Band is not considered a sport and hence it does not get the recognition it deserves unlike a lot of fall sports. I am a self-proclaimed Band Mom, inside out. All three of my children participated in the school band and two of them continued to their university band. Ya, proud mom.

 After School activities were all new to me. I did not have access to any extracurricular activities when and where I grew up. When my first born was in eighth grade, I saw his future high school band perform at a community event and it was instant love; love at first sight. So, when he joined his high school marching band as a first-year student, and even though I had two elementary grade children at that time, I immersed myself in this activity. I volunteered as much as I could, and the younger ones went everywhere with me. It was no surprise that when the time came, they too joined the school band. In fact, one of them was a drum major for 2 years. I followed them everywhere, indoors, outdoors, bleachers, parking lots, on the bus, you name it. And I would not trade that time for anything else. I was their official photographer, or I called myself that. I enjoyed every moment of it, pure joy, happiness at its core. Sometimes I would be overwhelmed by all of it, in a good way, to see the band students working so hard for hours, the discipline, the camaraderie. It was a wonderful and very fulfilling experience of my life. Not only did it bring me joy, but it also gave me some lasting friendships. So, if you are a band parent, I see you, I hear you cheering for your child; be there, enjoy those precious moments. My ramblings for today as I miss my children and those band days.





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