Ode to Friday

Oh Friday, although I know it is up for debate amongst the masses, to me you truly are the greatest day of the week. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

First of all, oh dear Friday, you are the longest day because you truly begin for me on Thursday at half past five in the evening and so you continue for two evenings, one night, and a day. Throughout every hour of that time I can cherish you, knowing that I am in your soothing, calming presence.

When you wake me up at half past 6 that morning, I no longer fear because I know that you are going to let me rest soon after, and preparing breakfast is no longer a chore because I know that for the two beautiful following mornings I am no longer on breakfast duty. When you send me to school, I can look into the faces of my tired yet slightly cheered co-workers who greet me with the simple phrase, "Gunaydin, Stephanie, Bugun Cuma." (Good morning, Stephanie, It's Friday). Not just then but throughout the entire day as the children scream, as the bosses demand, as the parents phone and the problems build, we are able to throw it all away with our own little mantra that works without fail, "Neyse, bugun Cuma!" (Whatever, it's Friday).

And oh Friday, you allow us to be so frivolous without any cause for regret or repentance. We forget about writing lesson plans, or that Efe needs his medication at half past eleven, or that Semin wanted to see a copy of this or that, and you, Friday, like the wonderful hippie that you are say, "Hey now, don't worry about it, dude. You just give that stuff over to Monday." Oh Friday, you are always ready to lay the responsibility on someone else's shoulders, and that is why we cherish you. "Yeah, man, far out," we respond without so much as a flinch for the job we have agreed to do to the fullest. Neyse, Neyse, Neyse.

With the coming of the afternoon snack time, the parents come to pick up their children early, and we can begin to inhale the fragrant fumes of oxygen being stolen by less of the little spoiled balls of silly energy. Ah, Friday, the air is mine. Now sit down kid, play with those blocks, and don't talk to me. Aaaaahhhh... fresh oxygen free of the smell of paint, glue, and puke.

When you hit half past five, Friday, that is when I really suck it all in because without debate, people across the world can tell you that there's nothing like Friday night. Whether Friday night means beers with friends, bar hopping, date night or sitting at home on the couch with a book, you know it is gonna be freakin' awesome! What other day can say that? What other day has two days of bliss ahead of it? Oh, none, dear Friday, none.

So as I sit here, trying to get the tunes and words of incredibly annoying children's songs out of my head for two days, and I listen to the sound of rain and not the sound of any small, high-pitched voices, I thank you, Friday. Cuma gunu, seni cok seviyorum... Friday, I love you.