In a perfect, Lake Wobegonesque world, I would love to spend my days of late summer putting up the bountiful harvest, traveling to quaint little destinations with my husband and children, enjoying the many blessings of nature so graciously given, and then returning to my perfectly charming cottage chic home where we would gather around the bonfire in the evenings and share our favorite moments of the day. There would be good wine, dark chocolate, and fine, rich tea interspersed throughout. There would also be a housekeeper. and a chef.
Right.
I see no mention of work in there, home or otherwise. No endless shifts of physical exams and phone calls. No grocery shopping. No cleaning. No laundry. I did not include any of the back to school madness of book procurement, orientation meetings, uniform shopping, tuition payments. No arranging carpools or worrying about how everyone gets to where they need to be at the appropriate time when there is only one available form of transportation--and she is working.
But life is what you make it, so it's worth trying to love the pesky and mundane things in life. Seek out the joy in the little things: I may not be making pint after pint of perfect salsa, but I have plenty left from last year. This year, I will content myself with a few perfect fruits from my lone tomato plant, sliced fresh and served with basil and fresh mozzarella. I am not whipping up a new school wardrobe for my offspring (dear Lord, how DID my mother manage that for five children?), but I am ridiculously proficient with a computer, a discount code, and an eye for a bargain! I am not organizing my home to perfection ala Betty Boom-Boom Crocker, but I am managing to prod my baby girl into some semblance of preparing for her move to college.
My travels are not to lofty mountain grandeur or deep emerald green forests, no sparkling pools of clear water with splashing falls and glistening mist. But I thoroughly enjoyed trekking north for mom's 88th birthday, meeting my new and completely adorable grand niece Jozie, and seeing the family. If my weekends are spent here at home, I can enjoy celebrating a birthday, the return of my oldest for a few days, the opportunity to relax with a book, or just to politely ignore my to-do list in order to calm my mind.
If I must go to work, and it does seem that I must for many years to come, I can at least feel that what I do is important, is appreciated, and in some ways makes another mom's life a little easier. I am blessed to at least be able to work in my chosen field and use my education, while still balancing the other important things in my life.
I get great joy from clipping coupons, and smile at the loving teasing I receive from my offspring as I whip out the product I got for FREE! I delight in whipping up some zucchini bread from a friend's unending supply. There is satisfaction in matching all the socks which come out of the dryer, or just clearing the kitchen counter. I occasionally even find a hidden stash of chocolate!
Life is good.
