Some days I am so on top of everything I can guiltlessly squeeze out a few blissful moments all for myself...and then there are the days when I am up to three steps behind. Today is one of the latter. Late to wake, late to work. With my commute, if I don't leave my house three hours before I need to be at work, then I am doomed to a sluggish ride on traffic clogged roads. That was what happened this morning. Two and a half hours before I was due to be in the school building, I hit the road. Mind you, the ride--90 miles--only takes an hour and a half on empty roads, but early in the morning, one half hour can mean the difference between a smooth ride and a stop-and-go snail walk that doubles my time in the car.
Today will be a long one, too. I'll be staying late at work to catch up on grading 90 essays.
On days like this, I am proud to be among all of the working mothers in the world who trudge forth, accomplishing their daily tasks efficiently (or not!) and whole-heartedly just because...it's what we do. We know that there is no turning back, no calling in sick because things aren't going the way we would prefer them to go, we keep rolling along and making sure that everything works out in the end, because too many people, precious people, are counting on us to be there at the end of the day with a loving embrace and a hot meal on the table.
