All About Me

"Its when you're safe at home that you wish you were having an adventure.  When you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home." - Thornton Wilder

I sometimes feel that I should put an advance warning on a long, wordy blog.  Perhaps I should let the reader know that I'm about to expound upon my life and thoughts in a chaotic, tangent filled, ramble.  But...I won't warn you.  Its a blog and if you don't want to read it, you won't.

I recently stumbled across two friends' blogs and I've enjoyed reading about their adventures this summer and I'm inspired to write more about ME this post and less about my kid.  In England, there seem to be two types of spouses.  Those who have kids, and those who don't.  Most of us will eventually wear the Mommy hat...it's just a matter of time.  Despite the inevitability, there is a divide between the two.  No one can prepare you for the all consuming job of motherhood.  So you join the club, looking over your shoulder with sad eyes during another two am feeding at the days gone by.  The Moms wonder what those people without kids do to fill their days (they must be so happy ALL of the time!  Honestly, how do they fill the hours?), and the "single" gals stay busy taking care of life (running their own small business, continuing their education, helping the Moms with their little ones, keeping our community strong, and taking care of life in a different country).

So, I  sometimes feel a slight pang of jealousy after browsing my friends' summer stories...I can't travel easily, I can't sleep in (I say a prayer of thanks when I don't hear my "alarm clock" until 7 am), I can't go out at night without paying an ungodly amount to a babysitter, and I can't lay on the sofa and watch movies all day (or do anything else that interferes too much with nap time).  Its so easy to fall into the "what ifs" day dream, but its a slippery slope. 

Its all a reminder that the grass is always greener on the other side, you shouldn't wish your life away, and you can't have your cake and eat it too.  I have to remind myself that one day, I will sleep in again.  I too, will be able to travel on a plane without chasing a toddler up and down the aisle, and reading Where the Wild Things Are to my not-quite-two-year-old son brings an amazing amount of joy to the both of us.  My life would be so different if I hadn't had a baby and the experiences and friendships that go along with the journey. 

If you see me chasing my busy kid around, please remember a few things:

I have galloped bareback, I was at Woodstock '99  watching the Red Hot Chilli Peppers play while the fires started, my husband and I had a very romantic long-distance relationship during college, I'm training for a half marathon in 8 days (and I'll probably run another one two weeks after that), I finished a sprint triathlon this summer in 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 45 seconds,  one day I will get my masters degree and find employment outside my home, I love my husband, and I love my little boy.  

I am a great Mom, but I am more than just a Mom.   

Life is a juggling act, so we have to examine the balls that we have in the air to see if they're still worth the bother.

  

My life is made wonderful by the fabulous friends that I am privileged to know.  My husband, is of course, the best friend that I have.  I also have friends that I can call after a six month lapse in communication, and talk like we live down the street.  I have a great friend who endlessly listens to my worries, fears, and insecurities and always gives me great advice (you know who you are), I have a friend who hires a babysitter and has her husband stay with my kid so that I can get out of the house.  I have a friend who kid-swaps so that I can get a workout and another who watches my kid so that I can train for the half-marathon.  I have friends who laugh at my jokes, give me parenting advice, and I have two friends (who write about their summer adventures) that were willing to watch my son so that my Mom and I could enjoy some time together in London.  I have a great family that loves me and cares for me while my husband is away, great in-laws who spoil me (and take care of me), and a fabulous husband who works very hard to provide for our family and who also trains very hard to be the best at what he does (the guys and gals all train very hard).

My life is full of blessings, so here's to appreciating what you have when you have it.  When you start to add them up, the blessings overwhelmingly outweigh the "what ifs."  My cup runneth over.