The other day, I wrote a cryptic post about a defining moment that I was hoping to have last Wednesday and that, if all went well, would be the first step in helping me to figure out which way my internal tug-of-war would go.
Category Archives: Work Life Imbalance
Defining Moments
I suspect, and I hope, that I may have one such moment tomorrow. And although it may turn out to be just a piece of a defining moment (with the rest to follow), I’ll settle for a piece right about now.
Mother’s Day
My Mother’s Day actually started yesterday. With breakfast in bed. Pancakes, bacon, milk and orange juice, on a lucite tray I forgot we had, but which was perfect for this purpose. Chloe, Sophie and Papa accompanied the tray upstairs, and announced its arrival with a clash of cymbals. The girls made me terrific cards this year. Colorful and creative. The presents (outdoor dishes from Crate & Barrel and a new bluetooth headset) didn’t hold a candle to the cards. It was a pretty cool way to begin a weekend devoted to me.
Sophie’s Theme of the Week
Yesterday morning, Sophie jumped into bed with me and innocently asked, “Mommy, can you quit your job today?” This is becoming a common refrain with her.
Mommy, Will You Quit Your Job?
That’s what little Sophie asked me yesterday afternoon. When I was in my bedroom, doing some reading for work. She bounded up the stairs to find me, sat down on my bed and asked, point blank, “Mommy, will you quit your job?”
The End of an Era
The other night, our beloved babysitter, Esperanza, announced that she was planning to retire in October. I knew the day would eventually arrive, but I still cried when she told me. We lovingly refer to her as the girls’ second grandmother.
The Tug and Pull Continues
When Sophie and I were in Texas, I was relaxed. Sophie sensed that I was relaxed, which is part of the reason why I think she was so well-behaved. I didn’t give her any reason to get upset, since I wasn’t tense and I wasn’t snippy. I wasn’t thinking about work…at least not until Tuesday morning when the emails started to stream in after a long weekend.
The Thing Is
It isn’t Groundhog Day. But I feel a bit like Bill Murray in the eponymous movie. As I reflect back on the year, and read what I was writing about at this time last year, I feel like not much has changed. Not as much as I hoped, in any case. Unlike last year, there’s not a bit of snow on the ground and we didn’t have a trip to Vegas cancelled because of a blizzard. But other than that, things aren’t all that different from December 30, 2010.
One Work Day Down, Four More to Go
This is how I’ve been functioning over the last several months. I live for the weekends. I know – everyone lives for the weekends. But lately, when Monday morning arrives I think about the number of hours until Monday evening. When Tuesday arrives, I do the same. When Wednesday comes I start thinking – ok, only a couple of more days to go until I can wind down and relax.
Beach Daydream
During a meeting at work today, my mind started to wander a little bit. I don’t recall what prompted the wandering or what, more specifically, prompted to me to start thinking about the beach. And taking the girls to the beach this summer.