Finding a little balance

Today, despite the cold, wet outdoors, I got a fresh breath of air.

What seemed to be the longest week ended last night at around 11pm when I finally read the last email clogging my inbox, and shut the face of my laptop.

Instead of working late at the office (again), I came home to two smiling faces, took a jog down the Monon with Will and Grace, ordered pizza and cuddled on the couch in my sweats-- reading my email. This may seem normal to all of you, but for us it’s a little departure from normal.

Until now, we have had a rule not to bring our work home—we never even had internet! Until last night. That’s right, Will and I decided (after much discussion) that we would flip our wireless switch to help mitigate some of my work load.

Simple as it seems, it felt like I had just achieved the greatest work/life balance ever! Did I really plow through 100+ emails and still eat and chat with my hubby while Gracie napped at my feet? Is it too good to be true? Can we really work and play at the same time? This concept seems so strange to me!

I have always felt sad for the people that have to bring their work home (now me), and the people who spend their happy weekend family time churning out projects for Monday’s presentation (also now me). But it seems that the better we get at our work, the harder it is to balance it with the rest of our life. Could it be true that the better we do at work, the worse we do at home? I suppose it could be. But not for me.

This is where my “fresh breath of air” comes in…. I believe that the reason I have been able to have a job and add any value to it is because I have the blessing of a successful home.

This morning for example, Will knew just what kind of day I needed—waffles for breakfast, a chilly hour at the dog park, nap, errands where we stop for coffee and get the luxury of taking our time and looking at the fish in the pet store if we want, farmers market (in the rain) b/c you can get a pound of carrots for 79 cents, home to build a fire and watch the Masters while the rain pours outside….

I will never stop working hard at home to have days like these. The rest, I’m confident, will fall in line. The wireless will help too. :)