Little Reminders

With my son finally over his bug, this week’s business trip went much smoother! My business meetings also went really well. Its times like this that the idea of “I CAN do this” starts to creep back into my mind. I am learning as I go though, not to get too cocky as incidents like last week can and most certainly will happen again. I am typically a “planner” and wish there was a way that I could be better prepared for next time, but I’m not really sure that is even possible.

So, for now I am back on my balance beam – walking that fine line between having a career and being a mom. And today, I am wearing the career hat. I had a great meeting with a client who was very impressed with the work I have done so far and we discussed some important next steps in our project. I’m feeling confident and also excited to keep moving this project along and continue the success.

After the meeting today, I went to dinner – and that’s where it hit me. As I sat at a sidewalk café in San Francisco enjoying the gorgeous weather and my dinner, I saw a woman with a little boy who was probably close to two years old. She was carrying his sippy cup and a “snak trap” cup (btw - great invention if you don’t already have one of these), and they stopped to pet a dog on the sidewalk. The little boy was so excited to pet the dog and was smiling and looking at his mom.

At this moment, I was quickly reminded of my son at home and was suddenly missing him terribly. Now, don’t get me wrong, I always MISS my son when I am traveling, but admittedly it is also nice to enjoy a quiet dinner prepared by a chef and in an environment that doesn’t include a toddler throwing his dinner on the floor. But at this particular moment and seeing this little boy interact with his mom, I suddenly longed to be back at home with my own son. All I could think about was his smile and his little voice telling me a story (even if I can only understand about half of what he is saying!).

It’s these little reminders that keep me in check. I am reminded that he will grow up quickly and I need to enjoy all these moments with him while I can. Although I am not ready to completely walk away from work, I need to remember that it will technically always be there, but this time with my son will not. It’s these little reminders that keep me wondering if perhaps it’s time to think hard about making some changes in my life and my schedule.

- Michelle