CoMOMitment

The other day, I caught, for the first time, the film "The Karate Kid." I know, I know. It came out, what, 30 years ago and has been parodied over and over again (wax on, wax off!). But in one scene, the elderly Asian Mr Miyagi played brilliantly by the late Pat Morita, says "The man who is in the middle of the road, eventually, squssssh. Same with Karate. You either do, or you don't do. Otherwise, Squssssh."

The past few weeks have led me to decide that, for me, this is how it is with motherhood. Up until now, this blog has been all about how I plan to juggle journalistic pursuits with parenthood. I don't know if it was Hurricane Gustav who came and swept my energy into a focused beam or if I have lost my mind, but it has become completely clear to me that this, motherhood, is the task that has been delivered to me right now. I must focus on this and only this. I don't think this is some dogma that all mothers must embrace, but I think that God has a really good reason for calling me to be a student of my children for awhile. To lead them, learn from them and uphold my family in this way. I still have no idea how I will fill the days.

To that end, we decided to pull Ryan out of Mother's Day Out. He kept asking to stay home and I kept sending him because I felt like I couldn't survive without it. During the hurricane, I began to turn my perspective and to ask what am I missing out on by trying to do everything at once? Why not just really put all of my energy on these little people that we brought into existence? I am also cutting way back on writing. For now. Except for this blog, of course, and a novel I've been wanting to write.

So maybe it's true. You can have it all but not all at once. I fully expect that my career in whatever form I hope to take it will exist when these children go off to school and their own lives. If I invest in them with my full attention, I think we'll all be better for it.

Keep reading as I share this new chapter of this journey!