Before the flowers push through, so much germination happens: Abosorbing the world around me as I have contributed to different communities, almost ten years since our move to NoVA. Roots have taken anchor in those communities that have fed my soul. Through various projects, offshoots have invited others to join inspiring connections that encourage our circles to bloom into something more worthwhile and colorful.
This inner work we do requires mindful intention. It has been my looming battle to justify to myself - working at home as a parent, not to be confused with working from home and contributing to the household income with a tangible salary. It is a conscious choice that our family made to raise our daughter, which means living within our means, no big suburban home, no fancy cars, no extravagant vacations. All worth it as my tween recently brought up in conversation that she suddenly realized that not everyone has a work-at-home parent. We discussed the necessity of working parents outside the home (like so many of her friends' parents, Lola and Lolo, Grandma and Grandpa), choice and sacrifice to have a work-at-home parent, along with the impact of the pandemic and parenting as essential labor, how important and sometimes undervalued, parenting can be misunderstood. How blessed that we have been able to make our choice work for us.
Now as our almost teen continues to come into her own, the timely opportunities for me to reemerge into the world of work outside the home have presented themselves. The anticipation of setting firm boundaries and maintaining availability for family needs comes with some nervous excitement, (not to mention tech week and N.'s upcoming ballet performance, La Fille Mal Gardeé) .
May we embrace Spring's invitation to resurface, unfurl and return home to ourselves.
