A Secret to Success as a Working Mom: Turn Burn Out Into Bliss and Embrace Joy

Last weekend my youngest was committed to going to the "Water Steps" a man-made water fall in Pittsburgh by the rivers. (Fun Fact: Three rivers converge in Pittsburgh--The Ohio River, The Monongahela River, and the Allegheny River.)  He kept asking. I knew he was serious when he said, "If you won't take me, I'll ask  daddy!" Given that it was highly unlikely that would happen on an unscheduled day, I relented. So, we went. It wasn’t planned in the way most things in my life are. No calendar block. No checklist. No “productive” purpose attached. And, so in some respects it was uncomfortable. And yet, it seemed necessary. It was the idea of my 8-year-old—offered with the kind of urgency only children possess when something is profoundly important to them.

Happy Halloween! #Halloween2020

Everything is a bit odd in 2020. We are living as if in a fog. The fog is filled with doubt and uncertainty about our futures. And yet, as my sister Reenah Golden would say, we press on. Halloween was no different. My husband was resolute about taking the kids trick or treating. And if you know him then you know that there was no stopping him. 


So, instead of fighting him. I joined in. Also, although I may not have been inclined to go trick or treating, I recognized that the kids were craving it. They have had in-person school taken from them. They have had their birthdays stripped to the bare bones because friends haven't been able to attend. They have had their favorite past times, like the Children's Museum and eating in restaurants, taken from them, on a visceral level, they needed normalcy.


And nothing screams normalcy and community like trick or treating. And so, we dressed up. We went out. And we said "trick or treat". We practiced social distancing the best that we could and I prayed that our venture into normalcy wasn't contributing to a "super spreader" event. Seeing the smiles and hearing the kids laugh convinced me that this was exactly what they needed. 









We were able to venture out because they are already in virtual school. So, if God forbid, they exhibit symptoms, we can quarantine them without much disruption. I know that everyone doesn't have the ability to do that, but I am grateful that we did. We also consume elderberry, zinc, vitamin C and D regularly to boost our immune systems.  

I don't have all of the answers, but I know that what we did was right for our family. Our courage in venturing out seemed to be what the community needed as well. A lot of folks bought candy and set things up in a socially distanced way to ensure that families had the ability to partake in the Halloween festivities. Based on the numbers, it seemed like a lot of people were craving some normalcy.


How did you spend your Halloween?!


Comments