making peace with working

Yesterday morning I pried my little boy's fingers off my shoulders and handed him to Linnea. (Our amazing child care provider!) Took a deep breath, pulled out of the driveway and well, sobbed. Handing him off literally goes against every instinct I have. It got me to thinking that being a parent isn't a punch-in proposition -- it is truly the only full-time gig. It is all consuming -- our thoughts, plans, actions, responses, movies we pick, music we listen to, where we shop, where we eat, how much we swear! It affects every single aspect of our lives.

So, I cry, move on and make peace with my part-time career. I choose to look at it as an opportunity for our whole family to grow - within and outward. There are now more people who love our children, more friends - it's made our world bigger. It also satisfies other instincts that require attention. All in all, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to know both.