My laptop clock said 1:05 p.m. Le sigh. My client meeting ran over. It’s not even two weeks into the new year and I will be late (again) to get my daughter from the pick-up line at her school. Thankfully, it’s only a six-minute walk.

I tossed on my oversized mint green coat, slipped my mismatched socks into too large, hand-me-down black clogs, smashed my hair into a matted blue beanie and made a bee-line for the door — while stuffing a Costco-sized chocolate chip cookie into my mouth.

From their driveway, my next door neighbors caught a glimpse of me and stopped dead in their tracks, mouths gaping. I looked down at my clogs, the faded yellow, red, and orange of my paisley leggings, the orange sock and the one with flying avocados.

The sting of embarrassment hit in slow-mo.

I had only one choice to make: Own the moment. I strutted out of my garage like I was on a catwalk and waved like the queen that I am.

There was nothing I needed to apologize for. I’m a working mom and sometimes that means I'm a mess (and that I have a cookie ‘stache). For 2022, I’ll stop apologizing for my creative last-minute choices and embrace my eclectic wardrobe.

Or, I’ll distract people by offering them a bite of my cookie.