Back to the Grind

Here we go! Annie started back to work full time yesterday (Monday), which leaves Sammy having to contend with my crazy antics during the days. The company Annie works for has been awesome, they are letting her cycle back into work mode by working from home two days a week and the rest of the week at the office. She will work back into five days a week from the office over the next few weeks.

It’s surreal to think that her roughly four-month maternity leave is already over and even more unreal when we realize that Sammy is already a week away from being four months old. It’s that whole “time” thing that none of us are ever really able to grasp. We often complain that things are going by too slowly or too rapidly…never quite content with how it is.

I don’t know how it will go from here on out with me being the one that will be responsible for Sammy during the week while Annie is off at work. The handful of days I’ve had him when Annie has had to work have gone really well and I like to think that it’s because I know what I’m doing or that I have a good temperament at this point in my life to do it well…but who really knows how it will go? The other thing I realize is that everything in our life could change tomorrow morning…whether it is business related, health related, or whatever else.

The two biggest things will be Annie getting used to being back at work and not with the baby; and for me it will be finding the balance between being able to work while taking care of little dude at the same time. I foresee many amusing stories ahead. In all seriousness though, we are all constantly facing these “new chapters” in life and typically we face them with hesitation, concern, anxiety, or worry. I have found that not only does none of that help but it’s for no reason. We never give ourselves enough credit for being resilient, strong, and adaptable.

Instead we whine, complain, and often attempt to fight change, new circumstances, or anything that takes us from our comfy little existence. I, on the other hand, seem to have reached a point where change and new circumstances are things I seek, even crave. I feel that every new experience teaches me more about who I really am; from being married before and raising a stepson, to going through a divorce, to issues within my own family, and beyond…things things have helped me get to the place I am today. They have shown me where my strengths and weaknesses are, which allows me to move forward with greater understanding and wisdom.

Now, as I move into yet another chapter of my life, I have this opportunity to be the primary caretaker of my son during the week which will lead to its own good and bad moments. But in the end, this will give me a richer understanding of myself as well as of my boy. There are not many dads that get this opportunity or that even want this opportunity…yet I greet it with open arms. I look forward to being shown my weaknesses and my strengths. I look forward to those moments where I need to get work done but he needs me even more. I look forward to the test.

Here’s why I look forward to the test…

…because THAT my friends, is what this life is all about. The work can wait. The deadlines are arbitrary. All the fancy cars, big money, high end clothes, yachts, bills, issues at work, common colds, 70 inch TV’s, and iPhone 5’s simply don’t matter when you hold a life in your hand and have that awesome responsibility of shaping…literally shaping…the future. Don’t misunderstand, I want everything and I want it right now but our children are more important than that. What are we doing to break this cycle of broken homes with broken dreams? If you don’t have kids then mentor one. If you have kids then reevaluate what you’re doing every single day and do right by them.

The point is that change and new chapters should be embraced and sought out. We are currently entering a new chapter in our life…how about you?