I didn't get to write yesterday. A full day of work was followed by registering my children for school. I arrived home by 6:00, just in time to make dinner. We enjoyed a Tivo'd reality cooking show together, played a game of Rummy 500, and by then it was time for bed.
My plan was to leave my daughter after we had read and prayed to get a few things done around the house, including my 15 minutes of writing. When my daughter asked me to stay with her, which she does almost every night, I had a small epiphany. She is going in to 5th grade and my son is going into 8th. This time next year I will be sending my kids off to middle and high school. Things are bound to change for us this year and in those to come. Our kids won't want to spend as much time with us. Chances are my daughter won't be asking me to lay with her as she falls asleep. They will emotionally remove themselves, bit by bit, mentally preparing all of us for the time when they go to college. I decided to choose my daughter over the writing and the household chores.
This time of year is much like New Year's for me; I am full of new hope and resolution. My New (School) Year's resolution is to try to balance my work life and my family life a bit better. When I have to choose between school work and being with my family in the evening, I am going to choose family. I will try to work efficiently during the school day so that I won't have to do as much at home. Our job requires us to give so very much to other people's children. We need to save some of ourselves to give to our own children when we go home.
Think about the balance (or lack thereof) in your life. Do you have any New (School) Year's resolutions of your own to make? Write them down and make them happen! Happy New School Year!
