If you’re a mom, then you’ve probably heard of the movie, “I Don’t Know How She Does It.” The book turned movie (starring my personal fave Sarah Jessica Parker), was on my must-see list since the previews started rolling. On a very rare whim, my great gal friend and I finally caught the flick.
What I mean by a “rare whim” is that by some stroke of luck (lots of grandparents around and a nationally televised college football game to occupy the men and boys), we decided to catch the movie at the LAST-MINUTE!
Honestly, as a mom, when do you ever do anything last-minute? I know that we probably do most of everything at the last hour while rushing around, but when do we ever just pick up and go see a movie? That was SO 11 years ago for me. Since I delivered my first baby in 2000, I have not picked up and done anything without some intense planning.
The irony does not escape me that we were able to do the impossible and sneak out last-minute to a movie, only to watch the one flick that reminded us how planned our lives actually are. I don’t want to give away the whole movie but in a nutshell, SJP plays a list-making wonder-mom who is desperately trying to do it all. You’ll have to see the movie yourself to learn the outcome (warning: there is lice involved), however, I will let you know that I had mixed emotions leaving the film.
Although the movie shows a working mom who tries to balance it all, more often than not ALL moms – working or not – are doing the same thing! Whether we work-at-home, stay-at-home, work out of the home, travel for work or perhaps we are divorced, widowed, or single, we are ALL moms doing our best! I know there are many amazing husbands/supportive partners/stay-at-home dads out there but plain and simple, something about being the one who gives birth places a certain amount of presumed responsibility on moms.
We negotiate childcare, attempt to keep our minds alive, strive to remember the woman we were before kids, care for extended family, pack lunches & flip pancakes, wipe runny noses, set up science experiments, cheer at dance and football, peek into our kids rooms at night just to make sure they are breathing, place enormous guilt on ourselves if we do not bake cookies, and make lists for our lists. I have stayed-at-home and now I work-at-home and I have to say that my lists are no different.
Always at the top of the list – “be the best mom that I can be.” Some days I’m way better than others but every day, I try! I guess that’s what I was contemplating when I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning ticking off in my mind to remember ice packs in the lunch boxes, follow-up with a work phone call from Friday, wash the boy’s football uniforms, buy bananas and write this blog.
Bottom line: We are all trying, and we may even get lice doing it, but we are trying!
What we often forget is to make a small amount of time for us – the woman inside. That’s why yesterday, I grabbed a yoga class right smack in the middle of the day! It was completely luxurious, and gave me the energy to tackle the rest of my work day, flu shots for the boys and an evening networking event. And yes, the laundry waited an extra day – but so what?
What item can you move off of the top of your list in order to make room for some YOU time?
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