working mommy

Multitasking.

Dear Em,
Our weekends are typically spent with an abundance of family together time. We like to ride bikes, go to the park, make popcorn & watch movies, go for a walk in Narragansett, play hide & go seek, have pillow fights...in between everything else that is planned.

I try not to wish my time away. With you growing & changing so very fast, I wish we could hit a pause button almost everyday. That doesn't stop me from longing for the weekends, though. On Monday mornings, I dream of the weekends that we live in sweatpants with an open agenda for the day. I miss crock-pot-football Sundays. I look forward to every second of sleeping in & family snuggles while we watch Sesame Street...Sigh. Wouldn't it be so lovely if everyday was the weekend?

I think that, but I also know that part of the reason I cherish our weekends together is that I am a working Mommy. Monday-Friday you go to school, & Daddy & I go to work. While it's the toughest part of my morning to hug you goodbye for the day, my heart feels happy to know that you are going somewhere where you are loved & learning (& having a blast). I know your daddy & I are going somewhere where our thoughts are valued & we're making a difference for others.

So, even though it's not always easy, I'm thankful for my job...for my career. I didn't know if I would ever say that. The moment you were born, I would have traded all of my career aspirations to spend every second with you. Finances being what they were, I had to go back to work after my maternity leave. I never thought I would feel that way. I went right from high school to college to my masters program to work. Being a professional something was all I thought I wanted.

And then you were born...sigh. It's amazing how your perspective can change.

So, I went back to work. In a time where so many people across the world are struggling to find any kind of job, I'm fortunate to have a job that helps me to provide for my family. I'm thankful to have a job that challenges me but has some flexibility. I'm thankful to work within a company where there is a future for me, & there is a future for me doing something I am passionate about.

I'm thankful that you can see me leave each morning as a professional & come home each evening as your Mommy. I'm thankful that you will someday have the choice of being a professional or a Mommy or both.