For a year, starting when Nora
was 15 months, I worked and Nick stayed home. I worked long hours. I had a
20-50 minute commute (depending on traffic) one way. Many days I left before
Nora woke and returned after she was asleep. Then I'd come home and do more
work.
It was a fulfilling job, but
it was horrendously stressful and, to be honest, I remember very little of Nora
from that year. I missed it when she spoke her first sentence. I missed going
to her first music class and when she learned to do a summersault. I missed
spending time with her. Her incessant talking. Her need to be touched. I
even missed having to rock her to sleep. It was a huge relief when we moved to
Iowa and I could do my work entirely from home.
But on days like today, I long
for the ability to just leave the kids in someone else's care and go disappear
for a few (or many) hours into my very own work world.
As I look back on the day, it seemed innocent enough. Just
a series of slightly annoying events that slowly accumulated into a giant ball
of stressed-out Kristin.
