Back to School … and Work
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Something absolutely amazing happened this week.
My youngest child started preschool.
For the first time in over eleven years of stay-home momhood, I have the house to myself. The dog and cats are outside. The TV is off, radio is off. I can hear the refrigerator running as I type.
And that is all.
I know that I can either use this time wisely or I can waste it. Yesterday, I put on a dress and heels, dropped the children off at school, then went to run errands. Instead of lining up in the bank drive-through asking for “five lollipops please,” I walked into the crisp, air-conditioned bank lobby.
Automatic doors welcomed me. My heels clicked across the tile floors.
A bank employee dressed in a suit and tie greeted me: “Good morning, m’am.”
“Good morning,” I smiled back.
I waited in line, alone. No baby on my hip. No toddlers running circles around my knees. No elementary-aged children asking me questions about where the gold is kept, where the robbers hide, or why bank tellers only give out suckers in the drive-through.
I didn’t have to answer the question, “Are they all yours?” I didn’t need to apologize for someone squealing. No juice was spilled or gum wrappers dropped on the floor.
After I left the bank, I drove to the post office. While standing in line to mail a package, I saw two friends, including one whose child is in my son’s class. We enjoyed an adult conversation, no interruptions. On the way back to my car, I saw the editor of the local magazine I write for. We chatted briefly, just the two of us.
It’s all so incredibly strange — this whole experience of being alone.
I’ve found that I enjoy dressing professionally. It’s just as easy to put on a dress or skirt as it is to put on frumpy sweatpants — and why not present a polished image to the world? When I’m out around town or when I’m busy writing at home, I’ll be dressed as if an editor or reader is sitting right in the same room as me.
And you are, right?
As I enter this new season of parenting, I’m thankful for the past decade I’ve been at home, surrounded by noise and children. My family is still my most precious responsibility, and the time I spend mopping floors, packing lunches, and discipling hearts will effect eternity. But I’m looking forward to having a few quiet hours a week to focus on my writing … uninterrupted.
Gina asked us to share our goals for the new school year, and my number-one goal is to spend more time in prayer and Bible study, seeking God’s Voice and following Him in obedience.
My time is still not my own … it belongs to Him.
Lord, as we writing parents begin this new school year, help us to be sensitive to Your voice. Show us the best way to use our time and talents to serve you, while we continue raising our children to know you intimately. Guard our hearts and schedules to keep us moving in the right direction. Amen.
