On Friday I finished my full time training with my new job. Woohoo!
Since I’ve finished the training, I’ve given myself time to breathe and haven’t forced myself to blog or get writing done because my mind has needed a break.
Late last Friday afternoon, I got a little graduation certificate to say I had survived the induction training and then there were drinks and nibblies at the office which then proceeded to more celebrations at the hotel across the road.
When I got home on Friday night, I felt relieved. Sad I wouldn’t be sharing a training room with my colleagues, but relieved that the juggle the last 2 months have required would be over. I don’t honestly know how two parents can work full time with children. I know many do, and so if you are that family, I take my hat off to you.
For me though, there were things that I missed incredibly and they were made all the more prominent while I was at work.
While I may have missed the Easter hat parade and Cross Country events, I realised it wasn’t these events that made me feel like I was missing out on my kids. It was the simple moments of just hanging out with them or walking them to school.
Even working through the school holidays made me miss them a lot because usually we would have done craft of would have gone to the movies or done some fun expeditions.
Anyway, the interaction at work that made me realise how much I missed them was on an afternoon while taking calls.
I took a late break because I had been on a long call and had missed my break by 45 minutes. As a result, I was the only one in the lunch room, although I had company as there were two young sisters in the relaxation area.
The office has been designed so older children can be brought to work if a mum needs to come in to work and they don’t have care available. As it was the school holidays, the two girls were taking turns on the massage chair.
While I was sitting at the lunch table, I observed their interactions with each other. The youngest sister was complaining to her older sister that she was taking too long in the chair. The older sister obliged and let her little sister on, but then the little sister wouldn’t get off so her older sister could have another turn. The banter between the siblings could have annoyed me and had it been my two daughters, it probably would have. But right at that moment, the banter between the two reminded me of my girls and I actually got teary. I must have really missed them, if I missed their fighting!
I realised I not only missed my girls presence, but also the annoying banter because that annoying banter meant they were present in my life.
While my girls can drive me crazy with their fights, it’s just part of the parcel of having kids. It’s all part of their learning to live with others. And it trains me to be patient and helps me build my skills when dealing with conflict.
No matter the season I’m in, there is always something to cherish from it. And the things that I say I probably won’t miss, may be the things I miss in the future, when my kids have finally flown the nest.
This morning I got to walk my girls to school and it was good. It felt so good. There was complaining about walking to school and who was going to carry the school bags, but I took it in stride because I’ve missed it. And it made me smile, because I know this is exactly where I want to be.
What are the things you miss when life changes? Have you ever been confronted with something you didn’t think you’d miss after a change?
