School Starts in Two Days and I Can’t Find My Mask

School starts in 2 days and my “functioning adult” mask is missing.

Not the KN95. Not the Halloween cat face.
The one I wear for drop-off smiles, PTA potlucks, and pretending I read the 37 school emails in my inbox.

Last year’s masks don’t fit anymore:

• The “chill mom about new math” mask? Stretched out.

• The “on top of permission slips” mask? Lost since 2022.

• The “yes, I have dinner planned” mask? Retired. Ashes scattered at Target.

If yours doesn’t fit either, maybe it’s time to loosen the straps.
That’s what I did and the lighter I felt, the less I cared about finding the “right” mask.