Busy Mom

How do you rate yourself as a worker or an employee, as a manager or as a boss? Above average I suppose. We do work and we function quite well in the workplace most days. But how you rate yourself as a parent? I think about this sometimes, and truth to tell, I really don’t know what my rating is.

Some of the most enjoyable moments in my life are the times I’ve spent with my children. To be honest, though, those moments are few and rare. There have always been projects to work on and quotas to fill. The demands of my business and my continuous research and study leave me with very little quality time for my kids.

I wonder how many mothers are like me today-confused, bewildered and overwhelmed with the demands of work and business. How many are quilt ridden and constantly wish to have more time with the kids?

Humorist Erma Bombeck told this story of a little girl who loved her mom but wasn’t sure what moms did:

The MOMMY DOLL

“One morning my mother didn’t get up and go to work. She went to the hospital and died the next day. I hadn’t thought that much about her before. She was just someone who left and came home and seemed glad to see everyone at night. She opened the jar of cookies when no one else could.

She cut herself while cooking but no one kissed it or got excited about it. When anyone was sick, she went out to get prescription filled. She took lots of pictures but she was seldom in them.

Whenever I played house, the father doll had a lot to do. I never knew what to do with the mommy doll, so I had her say, “I’m going off to work now,” and threw her under the bed.

The funeral was in our living room and a lot of people came and brought all kinds of good food and cakes. We never had had so much company before. I went to my room and felt under the bed for the mommy doll. When I found her, I dusted her off and her on my bed. She never did anything. I didn’t know her leaving would hurt so much."

I wonder if my children feel this way. Very painful, isn’t it? Quite haunting too. It brings home the importance of spending quality time with our kids. I’ve heard my pastor preach on this subject, I have read books on it, I have even spoken about it myself. Yet, I am burdened by the profound understanding that I have fallen short, extremely short, as a mother.

It does not help that these thoughts come to me while I am thousand miles away from home on a business trip, typing on a laptop, facing the skyline, longing to be home with my kids. You might say that that’s the real world. Just part of work, just business. Sure still, I miss them.

I don’t care what would be accomplished from this business trip of mine. I don’t even want to know the bottom line involved in these transactions I will be making. Nothing can compare to the warmth of seeing my kids running towards me with open arms, kissing me, and saying, “Mommy, welcome home! We missed you!”