Good morning! May I help you?
For the last two days I have been helping out in the office of a friend as the company's secretary has gone off on holiday [ a cruise I believe - lucky lady!]
And what a lark I have had...I got dressed up in proper office attire, styled my hair and applied both perfume and makeup. I honestly looked like a different person - the kids almost didn't recognise me when I walked through the door!
But it's made me realise something. As a mom who is home all day writing, my kids NEVER have to fend for themselves. They don't put their dirty plates in the sink, they don't help out with chores and they wouldn't even be able to make a slice of toast for themselves if they had to.
Therefore these last two days have been an eye-opener for us all. Because I had to leave home before the kids, my eldest had to lock up and then let them all back in again at the end of the day. The kids learned to wait for their tea and accept that I was truly going as fast as I could.
Most importantly of all, in my opinion, they saw what other kids lives are like - and so did I. The constant organising at the start and end of the day to ensure that the house and its occupants ran smoothly whilst I was out working...and the sense of having to pull together to achieve the best end result for all.
The lists of instructions to make sure the lights were off, the doors locked etc...
The walking of dogs at 7am so that they were not neglected....
The cooking of the evening meal in high heels and a tight skirt because the kids would have expired if I had taken five minutes out to change...
These were all things that were strange for me and yet familiar to many other women worldwide I am sure.
So Ladies [and Gentlemen as I am aware some of you men hold down this demanding home/work balance] I take my hat off to you!
For all the times you went without milk in your morning coffee because to have used it meant there would be none for the kids cornflakes...
For the legions of you who slam the dinner in the oven, still wearing your business clothes of the day...
For those of you who perform a whirling dervish of spins with every activity, holding so many balls in the air at once that if they fell, the weight of them descending on you would crush you into the asphalt beneath your feet...
I salute you!
Because fun as this was, it was also exhausting and draining. So tomorrow I'll be back in my jeans and t-shirt and back to my beloved writing! See you there!
Carmen x
