I was having a conversation with some people today at a lunch pot-luck. One of the women was pregnant and asking how we (myself and the other women there with (older than LG) kids) manage to balance work and family life.
I wanted to laugh and say, “Umm? I don’t?”
Sometimes I get home after LG goes to bed.
Sometimes I have to go out of town for work.
Sometimes we’re late for school and work.
Sometimes I leave work early (shhh.)
Sometimes the majority of my time (during the week) with LG is spent as I sit on the bathroom floor blow-drying my hair and making funny faces at her.
It’s not perfect, and it wasn’t something I planned while I was pregnant — here’s how I’m going to MAKE. IT. WORK! — but, in the end, I am making it work.
Somehow, someway, it’s working.
That’s all anyone is doing, right? Trying to balance responsibility with fun with friends with family and hoping that when our head hits the pillow at night, that day was a good one.
This. Exactly this. I HATE it when people are all “I don’t know HOW you do it!” I do it because it has to be done. It’s not like you can be all, “NOPE! Not going to work!” and expect to get paid. Or, “NOPE! Not going to parent LG!” and expect her to turn out non-assholey. You do it because you HAVE TO.
Deep, man. *long drag on cigarette* Deeeeeep.
In other words, you’re exactly right. It’s nice to have the reminder.
Next time just say, I don’t…we have a housekeeper from El Salvador that handles everything except talking to the gardener, her name is Lucy.
I just read a book where the author described realizing “I’m not the only one trying to balance something unbalanceable.”
And, yeah, that’s exactly it. There is no secret! There is no prize! It’s just Life.
Ha. Yeah, you know that not everyday is going to be one of those good days, but you just kind of hope that there are more of the good ones than the bad ones, I guess…
Love this. It’s like anything in life – you can’t imagine dealing with it until you have to- and then you just do it.