Philosophy

I've recently had a few discussions with various women in my life regarding my life, home & work balance. Women are often amazed at how I am able to "get away" for a coffee, glass of wine, run, shop etc.... I have to admit that at times I do let that bastard "guilt" get the better of me, but most of the time I am thrilled with the balance in my life. We also happen to have a tremendous amount of support from both families and they are for the most part located close by.

This all starts back to my childhood when I can remember spending many weekends with my grandmother and aunt who lived together at the time. They provided a 180 degree environmental switch for me and gave my parents time to decompress and just enjoy life. I valued the time I had with them and looked forward to spending time with them! We shopped at "expensive" stores, watched lots of "Golden Girls" episodes, read books, cooked and generally laughed a lot!

Later on in life, I began to connect with my father's family and would spend the day talking politics, sociology (I didn't realize this at the time), psychology, finance and history. Some of the richest conversations I have ever had come from my "beekeepers".

Jump forward to when James & I first started dating.. One of the first things we discussed as a serious couple was politics and when and IF we wanted children. Fortunately we were on the same page with both. One of the other things that I wanted was to have conversations that involved how we would raise our children and the expectations of each of us. We agreed that child rearing in ALL aspects belongs to both parents on an equal basis.

As I've entered my second year of parenthood, I've come to realize that my philosophy of needing to commit to MY needs as well as those of my children and husband is somewhat rare for varying reasons. I do consider myself a feminist and have always been perplexed by traditional female and male roles within families and try to sway from them. For instance, it's just as important for me to be able to fix a dryer as it is James be able to nurture my girls, albeit I don't have much background in fixing dryers. I become frustrated for my friends with children who never seem to be able to get a break. I realize that some people don't have many outlets or supports but I have a sneaking suspicion that for some people that ugly word "guilt" is the suspect.

Please don't get me wrong, I realize many mom's that I have come across choose to prioritize their lives in different ways.. I respect that and I'm happy for those who get to live their dreams!

Listen up moms of children and animals: You are all outstanding women with the ability to build an empire... I ask you not to forget about yourselves because you deserve the best in life! I admire all of you and can say that I am a better person for knowing each and every one of you.