We're No Different than Anyone Else!

I haven't blogged much because I've been feeling a little dark this past week or two.  The weather has largely been crappy - cold, dark and rainy when we're more than ready for spring - but it's been more than that.  It's a combination of things really.. but sleep deprivation and overall uncertainty certainly play the largest role.  As I mentioned in my previous post, Rod has been sick again, with diareah, for a prolonged period with no identifiable source.  I am not terribly worried that there is something really big wrong with him - if you saw him, you'd never even know he was sick - but the daily wondering if he's going to get sent home from school and who will need to miss work is getting exhausting - not to mention the regular old Mommy guilt that I can't be with him when he is sick.  On top of that, both Matt and I are facing new things at work - him a new project and me yet another new organization, that has us both a little on edge, as neither one of us is particularly good at going with the flow. 

So, as we approach our 5th anniversary, our relationship is feeling the strain.  We know we need to get out on date nights and nurture our marriage, and we're committed to it, but  that hard part is trying to find the time, and to find it at the same time you have the energy!  We've done a lot of talking over the past couple of weeks on this topic, and that has definitely helped.  We've taken the time to see the other person's perspective and also to appreciate each other.  Sometimes we barely got to sleep before the first of the night time interruptions happened, but I think it was worth it.  But I keep wondering to myself, how do other families manage?

Well, the realization I've come to is that they struggle at times, just like we do.  Sick kids, multitasking, laptops after bed-time and lowering your expectations are all a part of the reality for families with two working parents (I can't speak to other arrangements)  We attended a birthday party last weekend where I didn't know the vast majority of the parents in attendance, but I ended up chatting with several and realizing they were telling me about the same struggles I was dealing with myself.  With this new insight, I looked around, and I heard variations on the same story from co-workers, neighbours, and even my dear friends who I don't get to see nearly enough - had I thought to consider why I don't see them more, perhaps I would have come to this realization earlier!

Sometimes all you need for the sun to come out is to know that you're not struggling alone.  The weather still stinks here in New England, but my outlook has vastly improved.