Monday, April 24, 2006

DOWNSHIFTING WEEK - DAY 3

Today, I have sent my boys to school and thanks to being around at home, I am there, not too inconvenienced to have one home again with ' tummy ache'. The philisophy in this household has always been to go to school unless there were any visible signs of ilness, such as temperature, sickness, pale colour etc, as I want to encourage my children to attend school when they can.
When I was working full time, having a child called home from school was a major inconvenience because it would always be on a day that I had an important meeting to go to, a presentation to make etc etc. The priority however should have been my child( you may disagree with this!) and of course I always ended up with guilt, anger and frustration at both the workplace, the child and me, a very stressful time.
What a difference to be able to say
yes, I will come and collect him.

What a difference to be able to spend time and ask
' so what do you need, what is happening where does it hurt?

Of course I miss the importance of being important at meetings and presentations and all that it brings with it, but I value my children and when they are ill, insecure and have tummy ache, they need my attention, my care, love and warmth more than I need the meetings and the presentation however inconvenient that is to others.

Today, I will probably have to watch the odd children's DVD, snuggled up on the sofa, my writing will have to wait, the housework will have to wait, the garden will have to wait ( it is raining though) ................it is an unexpected moment of togetherness on the sofa, a time for me to listen, a time to share.........and hopefully, my son will be replenished enough tomorrow to go back to school and get on with life.

Slowing down for us is the same thing, we need that time snuggled up on the sofa to replenish and to be listened to, to dream and to make plans to make our dreams a reality. Sounds like another Sunday then, a day of rest but it is anything but...I am investing time and care on the next generation and that is an important job and far from insignificant.

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