Jan 07 2009
I Lost a Battle of Work-Life Balance and Let My Daughter Down
I woke up this morning and realized that I was supposed to be this week’s “Mystery Reader” in London’s second grade class at Mendham Township Elementary School, and that 1) I had neglected to send in any of the daily clues and 2) although I have worked from home on every single Friday for the past five years, on this particular Friday, Rex and I have a very important business meeting in New York City that conflicts with my Mystery Reader slot on Friday afternoon. At this point, I feel like the worst mom in the world to have let my daughter down.
It’s funny, this morning I was just reading an article in Cookie Magazine about Brooke Shields and how being a mom makes her feel normal, possibly for the first time in her life. Brooke goes on about how her daughters will always remember how she did things in their classrooms, but they won’t even notice that she was exhausted at the time, so she gets to the school for her commitments on little to no sleep, tired or not.
Because I’m in the midst of planning a spectacular eighth birthday party for London at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), I know she’ll forgive me for the Mystery Reader disappointment. However, it still stings.
Of course it stings! It’s a status symbol for your mom to be in your class. Next time write it in on your appointment book - the same one where you write your work appointments. It does matter.