Nearly five months have passed since a new chapter began in my life. Seven or so months ago, I was given an opportunity I had only dreamt of; to be a full time Professor of Art. It was a dream come true. Or was it? The catch was, not only would I lose valuable time with my now two year old daughter, but I would commute to Idaho, a 2.5 hours drive on a weekly basis. That is, I would spent Monday - Thursday in Idaho away from family. Needless to say, I was in quite a conundrum. Now, five months into it, my decision to accept the position remains in question.
How many mothers play this balance game? When you choose to go to the gym rather than play with legos. When the thought of a weekend away leads to unbearable feelings of guilt. When you take a job in another state to expand your resume, only to be saddened by missed moments.
Often we find ourselves wishing to be somewhere we are not. I knew that merely being offered the position had left me in a hole. That if I did not take it, I would have regretted that I hadn't. And if I did (and I did) I would constantly (and I do) wish that I hadn't.
What is the answer? How do we find balance between motherhood, art, work, life?
A friend of mine recently came out with a book that looks at the hardships of working mothers:
http://www.michellecove.com/i-love-mondays.html
No comments:
Post a Comment