Cornered Office
with Mir Kamin
I'm a freelance writer and mother of two working from home, which theoretically means I can set my own schedule so as to best accommodate my family. In reality, "flexible hours" often equals "working too much." Yes, I'm my own boss; no, that doesn't mean life is easy. It's hard to leave the office when you live there. But I love what I do and feel very lucky. And not just because I get paid to work in my pajamas.
To learn more about Mir, check out her profile on Work It, Mom! or visit her blog at http://www.wouldashoulda.com/
Treading water ’til the holidays
Categories: A mother's work is never done, Maybe I can pencil in a nap, Now I'm free(lancing)
|
I’ve got about a week and a half to go until Christmas, and I think I’m going to make it. It’s all going to be fine. I’m sure it is. It has to be, right? It will. Obviously.
It is helpful, at this time of year, to remind myself that I feel this way at this time of year every single year without fail. Because the way I feel right now is sort of how I imagine the last mile of a marathon feels. I keep telling myself that I just have to keep going until Christmas, at which point I can pull back and relax a little bit. It’s just that right now I have to do all of my regular work as well as “prepare for the holidays.”
(I think maybe the holidays should learn to prepare for themselves. That would make things a lot easier….)
This is my busiest time of year, work-wise, and it coincides with the kids needing help with school and cookies to bake and lights to string and cards to address and people to visit and travel plans to be made and and and and AND.
‘Tis the season to make merry, or to run around like a chicken with my head cut off?
Oh, perhaps the merriment is in the running. I may have missed something, there. Heh.
It’s been cold and rainy and my children have been needy and my clients are in a tizzy and my accountant for some reason seems to think I need to actually keep my books current and pay my taxes and stuff. The nerve of him. Far-away family has stuff going on and friends are dealing with their own issues and the dog, by the way, always wants to go outside right when I’m in the middle of something. I may manage to get everything done before that concert at school, but we’ll probably end up eating something I threw together at the last minute for dinner. Assuming, of course, that I made it to the grocery store at all. Which half the time, in the last month, I have not.
I’m trying to find ways to slow down and grab moments of peace and calm, but it’s hard. Sometimes the best I can do is remind myself that I’m at the less-than-two-weeks mark, and it’ll be over soon. I’ll take a day off, enjoy my family, decompress a bit.
Just as soon as I finish putting together teacher gifts and get these three assignments out the door and ship those packages and…
… oh, nevermind. Here, have a cookie. I’ll be in my office (or the car) if you need me.
Subscribe to blog via RSS
Hang in there, Mir. It will all be fine. Oh, and I’ll take that cookie. I haven’t started baking yet and I don’t have one good excuse. Somehow it all gets done every year and we enjoy the holidays, whatever they look like. Every year is a little different as my children are all grown up now. We will enjoy the time we do have together, and I’m sure there will be cookies.
Sharon | December 15th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
I so feel ya, I love the holidays and I loathe them at times. It can get really crazy and I really hate that I feel that way. I feel guilty that I feel that way. I would love to just stop and enjoy the time with family and not stress so much. I do this every year!! Oh well, I do hope you can do better than I and enjoy your holiday.
Shawn | December 15th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Every year we somehow make it past the 25th, I’m sure you’ll do it again! Here, have one of those Cafe Mocha Vodka Valium Lattes I’ve heard about.
Brigitte | December 16th, 2009 at 7:10 am