(1) I'm grateful for the gorgeous sunny day here in Columbus. The sun and the warm weather feel amazing.
(2) I'm grateful for the great folks that I presented to today. I love presenting to and talking with credit union Marketing folks. So much energy and passion for what we do. Fantastic!
(3) I’m grateful for some recent conversations pointing me to consider the concept of work/life balance. As a working mom it is something that you hear about all the time. You hear people saying that they want or need more of it. You hear people saying they feel close to it. You almost never hear people say they have it mastered. You read about it and some people say it is a fallacy similar to control. In this case, in my opinion, everyone is right.
Balance is a feeling. It’s something that you feel singularly. Nobody can tell you that you have it or that you do not. However, it is something that you are sure that everyone has an opinion about. As a working mom, you think that people are watching you and judging you and deciding if you work too much or too little. You are sure that people have opinions about how you play with your kid and how often. I’m not sure that this is always true, but it feels like reality and it probably is at times. As people we are quick to judge.
For me, balance is about being able to experience two sides of experiences. Neither is better or worse. I appreciate each because I get to do both. Here’s an example:
Traveling with a toddler:
Last week I was traveling with MacKenzie and Scott. We were hauling around three checked bags, a diaper bag, my laptop bag, my purse and Scott’s carry-on. A man stopped us to tell us that we definitely hadn’t mastered traveling with children. It took us longer than most to get through lines. People were very flexible and patient because they saw that juggling our bags and our baby wasn’t easy. They smiled at us a lot and joked with us.
We tried to eat at the airport and mostly just made a mess as our daughter doesn’t eat particularly well when she isn’t in a highchair of some sort. As we waited for the plane, I chased MacKenzie around the airport and we played with a group of wheelchairs that we found. She put her tongue on the disgusting airport window. She got under at least ten people’s feet. People smiled and laughed. We were every passenger’s nightmare as they ascertained whether or not they would be sitting near us on the plane. I looked at business travelers and felt pangs of jealousy.
As we flew, Scott and I took turns juggling a 17-month old. She kicked the seat in front of us. She threw all the papers and magazines out of the seat pocket. She screamed and cried for 15 minutes because all she wanted to do was crawl around. She threw her books on the floor. She finally fell asleep in frustration. I napped for a while with her and then woke up and enjoyed watching her sleep peacefully in my arms. She hugged and kissed me when she woke up. Pure joy.
When we got off the plane she roared with laughter at the little stuffed animal that rolls on the ground and giggles. People in the airport smiled at her and they smiled at me. Strangers talked to us in both airports about the backpack that Scott was wearing to carry MacKenzie and how comfortable it looked both for her and for us. They were friendly and kind and commented about what a sweet baby she was.
Traveling without a toddler:
This week I’m traveling on business alone. I don’t get nearly as many smiles. If I’m slow or get in someone’s way they are not patient. I am much faster getting through security. I have my luggage well organized and I am adept at maneuvering the bins. My luggage feels light and manageable. I am able to read and work as I wait in the airport. At the hotel, I practice my presentations in my room several times and fall asleep early. I wake up and am only responsible for getting myself ready. I practice my presentations again after I call home and listen to MacKenzie and Scott starting their day. I really enjoy presenting to the groups and hearing their feedback. I think on my way to the airport about changes I will make to my presentations in the future. I catch up on phone calls that I’ve missed and write a bit. I get lunch at the airport and eat it at a leisurely pace because I can. I enjoy drinking a diet coke and don’t worry about it getting spilled. I’m able to read and work on the airplane. I make lists of things that I need to remember to do at home and at work. I think about what time I’ll get home and what parts of MacKenzie’s routine I’ll miss. People do not look at me like I have cooties when they realize they will be sitting next to me. I look at other moms and feel jealous. I wish that I were holding MacKenzie. I close my eyes for a few minutes on the plane and it feels really good.
These experiences happen to me every single day. I have my moments with my girl. I have my moments without her. The moments with her are magical and she is the light of my life. The moments with her are also sometimes frustrating and hard. The moments without her are also magical. The moments without her are sometimes frustrating and hard. I like working and I like contributing. I love credit unions and the difference that we make for people and their finances. I appreciate both more because I do both. There is never a 50/50 split. I’m lucky to juggle both though and I’m thankful to be challenged to think about balance because it makes me appreciate my life in its entirety not just in its parts.
(4) I’m grateful for hearing about a “Red Shoe” campaign done by Wayne County Community Federal Credit Union. This shop and their CEO really get their “why.” Inspiring.
(5) I’m grateful for how pretty clouds look from the sky. It’s crazy that there was a time when folks didn't fly and didn’t get to see how cool they are up here.
(6) I’m grateful for bagel sandwiches. I really love them and the one I had today was particularly great even though the woman that made it seemed very confused by my request (cheese, lettuce, mustard…”That’s it??”)
(7) I’m grateful for the funny pilot today who teased me after I had to go through “additional screening” by TSA saying, “so you got sent to time out hunh?” Made me laugh.
(8) I’m grateful for not getting hit by a car this morning. In the hotel restaurant last night a man commented to me that there were frequent pedestrian accidents in the area. I was slightly on edge when I ran. He didn’t seem to know what contributed to this. He seemed to think it was the pedestrians. Both interesting and scary.
(9) I’m grateful for my mom and grandma’s hands. I don’t know why but every once in a while I think about them. They both have/had amazing hands. Long fingers. Not fancy, but well kept nails. My hands are stubby and my nails are in disrepair. I will encourage MacKenzie to take note of my mother’s hands.
(10) I’m grateful for BestSource Credit Union. I stumbled into my first credit union opportunity in 1998 just looking for a marketing job and have become a credit union “lifer.” My credit union journey started there: in the basement of a department store without any windows. Thank goodness!
No comments:
Post a Comment