A Secret to Success as a Working Mom: Turn Burn Out Into Bliss and Embrace Joy

Last weekend my youngest was committed to going to the "Water Steps" a man-made water fall in Pittsburgh by the rivers. (Fun Fact: Three rivers converge in Pittsburgh--The Ohio River, The Monongahela River, and the Allegheny River.)  He kept asking. I knew he was serious when he said, "If you won't take me, I'll ask  daddy!" Given that it was highly unlikely that would happen on an unscheduled day, I relented. So, we went. It wasn’t planned in the way most things in my life are. No calendar block. No checklist. No “productive” purpose attached. And, so in some respects it was uncomfortable. And yet, it seemed necessary. It was the idea of my 8-year-old—offered with the kind of urgency only children possess when something is profoundly important to them.

Working Mom Mix Up

I don’t often crave a do over. But this morning, I want to start the day again. Instead of venturing out into the cold rainy day mistakenly believing that I had a 7:30 AM meeting, I want to be right. I want to be careful. And I want to be in bed.
Had I not been confused about my calendar, I would have pressed snooze and cuddled with Andre for another thirty minutes. I would have pretended that it was the weekend, if just for a little while, when I could choose to remain in the house all day and be focused on taking care of and playing with my baby. 
 
Instead, I braved the elements only to arrive in an empty conference room, wet and wondering if I had the wrong meeting location.  I had a moment of panic.  Then, I checked my Blackberry once again and realized that I had misread it. The 7:30 AM meeting is actually tomorrow.  Oh, well. I guess today was a dry run, well not really… 

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