There’s this expression “Qualter time,” made up by a few of my friends who know I’m often late.

I take solace in the fact that one of my two sisters is later than me for holiday gatherings, so that makes me feel better (and no, I’m not ratting out which one).

I am on time for things like flights, or my clients, or business meetings, or most of all when I’m picking up my kids.

I used to envision my 7-year-old twins waiting for me on an NYC street corner wondering what happened to their mom. That vision would motivate anyone out of what they’re doing.

I’ve never, ever been mad at someone who’s late for me. But being late is a sign of disrespect to many people, which is why I’m getting better. Much better. I’m not fully healed of Qualter time, but I’m almost there.

All of this to say, it’s no surprise that on this very day, March 1st, exactly 16 years ago, at 9:00am, my partners Allison, Bobby, and Craig and I opened the doors to our beloved, brand new business apple seeds…9 hours late.

We had promised families in our Chelsea/Flatiron neighborhood that we’d open in February.

Hundreds of families had already paid for classes and were waiting for our doors to open to come inside and play with their kids. So NYC construction delays aside, we essentially stuck to our word!

Albeit 9 hours later.

I think being late for me is actually a function of loving the person I’m with, or the moment I’m in, that I truly lose track of time.

But leave it to my kids to teach me the real lesson about the value of being early. Their very births, all three in March, came sooner than was planned.

James Jack was due on March 21st and arrived on March 17th.

Let’s just say as I prepared for his arrival into this world, I kept wondering what it would be like to be the guy with an Irish name, named after his two grandfathers, one of whom is Irish, and be born on St. Patrick’s Day.

I know, you thought I was only Sicilian, but yes, there’s Irish in me too.

I nervously envisioned keg stands at NYC’s St. Paddy's Day parade, but thankfully he’s still too young and so I worry more about his obsession with Lucky Charms.

My twin girls Maddie and Sydney were born 5 years before Jack, but later in the month, on the very last day.

They were actually due April 4th, so when I felt them coming on March 31st, I was praying they would, fearing what it would be like to have twins born on April Fool’s Day. Imagine the tricks they could play.

Those 3 days - March 1, March 17, and March 31 - are the reason it’s my favorite month. All of my babies came into the world.

I remember my mom once saying, “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.”

So I gave my girls lambs - baby sheep - as their first stuffed animals, and then looked up what that expression even meant.

As suspected, it’s about the weather coming in fierce, and leaving calmly as spring arrives.

But it’s also a reference to astronomy, positions of the constellations Leo (a lion) and Aries (a ram, or lamb).

For this reason, last March, our animal messenger was a lamb.

For this year, let’s come in hot and make it a lion.

While I hope the cold disappears soon in NYC, I do need the fierce energy of the lion to help me through the next few months of change.

Actually, I want the lioness. She represents the Great Mother and protection.

But all lions represent courage and strength. Who doesn’t need that?

So… join me in searching for lions this month?

I decided to write this email last night, and I saw a lion in my parenting coach manual first thing this morning.

No joke. I mean, if that’s not a sign…

With fierce love,
Alison