I saw the title of a blog today and it made me pause, it was called "part-time everything". It resonated in me. Lately that is how I feel. I am a full time working mother, therefore I am a part timer to everything else. What a weird place to be. Especially for someone who always gave 100% to everything. It's been quite the balancing act. How do you give your children your undivided attention when you have thoughts of unfinished issues with the children at school today? How do you make sure your husband knows how important he is, even if you only see him for a kiss and a hug on your way in from work and his way out to class? How do you let your family and friends know you are thinking of them, even if you can't actually get to see them any time this week or month? Well I guess as we get older and attain more responsibilities we have to accept we are part-time to everything ... even if we are committed to full-time roles. Although I work full-time I hope my girls feel that I give everything I can when I am there with them and that even when I am not with them, while I am at work I am most certainly thinking of how their day is going ... and that Rob knows and feels that our mini-chats and our new "date hour" is a way to show how important and loved he is. I don't really know how to do things part-time, it doesn't work that way for me, but in a world where we are all so busy taking care of things I guess I have to find ways to stay grounded ...
Anyone else feel torn?
What do you do to balance it?
For now I will ponder and let you all know later :)
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All the time. I think I cope better some weeks than others. Some weeks it all falls into place, others it all falls apart. When it gets bad (like it did yesterday) I try to keep in mind that there will come a day when I will look back at this time and try to remember every detail of it, that I will miss the chaos. That helps me.
ReplyDeleteTotally and I don't even have little ones in the mix. Today, I think it is really hard to find a perfect fit because us women, multi-tasking extraordiners that we are, are trying to do it all, all the time and we are tired. My Mom had a little trick though and she still does it. She always got up a few hours before the rest of the family and took her quiet time and got a jump start before we all got up and started making a mess : ). The two things that really helped me are my yoga practice (even 15 minutes makes a big difference, just breathing and taking a little break shows me that half the things I am worrying about are small potatoes)and accepting that I can not do it all, everyday. We can't wear all the hats all the time. Some days, I am an awesome friend and made the mack daddy dinner and other days I am a great student, who snapped at her husband, did not make dinner and feels flabby. I think, like you said, it is about finding your perfect fit and embracing that if 100%, is the total we have to give, we may not be able to give a 100% to every category, all the time. Let's say we have 100 apples and we can give these apples out to those we love and care for, including ourselves throughout each day. Each day the amount of apples going to each person or task has to change. Some days Mommy may need more apples to herself, while others she may be able to gladly hand them out to friends, fellow staff, her hubby and children. Ok, I am going on and on here with my apples economics, but I think it raises a good point. We can not do the impossible....we only have 100 apples. hhmmmm......
ReplyDeletep.s happy birthday Julia!
ReplyDeleteAunty Shelley went to bed so early that she is up in the middle of the night.