Finding the Balance

The series we've been discussing at church is called @work which touches on a subject I think about often since like so many others, I spend much of my week at work. Although, I never did give work quite as much thought as I do now that I have a child. And as much as I do enjoy my work, I find myself resenting the fact that it takes me away from Cam so much of the time.

I'm trying to keep in mind that God has me doing what I do each day for a reason & that I am helping to touch the lives of people when they're at their most fearful, vulnerable moments. But it can be hard to remember that when I'm tired, having a bad day or choosing the wrong attitude. As I headed out of church yesterday I was handed a small piece of paper which was given to me as a reminder of why we do the things we do Monday through Friday & how God is truly at the center of it all. This morning I posted it at my desk & it really seemed to help me turn my attitude around when I found it heading down the wrong path.



I have to say though that I think Americans spend far too much time working & rushing around. It seems like a sick joke to run from the time our alarms ring early in the morning until it's time to basically go to bed at night. Work, work, work with nothing but a measly half hour break, possibly drag myself to the gym after work, fly to the store for whatever odds & ends we may need, grab Cam from daycare, try to connect with him in the hour & a half that's left before bedtime. And in that time it's making/feeding dinner, bath, pjs, bedtime. Then it's time to clean up any remaining dishes from dinner, get the coffee ready for tomorrow, take a shower, and whew, it's about bedtime only to go to sleep & do it all over again the next morning. And as basically any working person does, I find myself just trying to make it to the weekend so I can have some quality time with my family to do the things we don't have time to do Monday through Friday. But when the weekend actually does come, many times hours upon hours are spent cleaning and uh, doing the things we don't have time to do Monday through Friday.

And when I notice myself becoming overwhelmed, I try & take a step back & remember that God has me on this Earth to serve a purpose. I remind myself of this as I make my rounds & see my patients. And even when they're feeling angry at the world & wanting to take it out on anyone in their path, I'll stand there & listen & be there for them. So many times I see them smiling as I leave their room & that's what makes it all worth it.



And this boy of mine makes everything worth it. Even in my most down moments, I know I'll be coming home to my love at the end of the day. And that is definitely something to be thankful for. So each night as I snuggle with Cam in his room before bed, we say our prayers & tell God everything we're thankful for. And really, I have so much to be thankful for... it's just a matter of remembering those things when the madness of the day tries to take over. And speaking of this boy of mine, today was his first day back to daycare in over two weeks & his first day in THE PRESCHOOL ROOM!! When Mike told me he was dropped off in that room this morning instead of his usual Toddler Room, tears came to my eyes. My little boy is truly growing up too quickly. Much of his day will now be spent on the potty & he'll be with kids up to three years old so he'll be learning lots.

So much to be thankful for.