A humbling week of single parenting...

This past week has brought about a lot of reflection and gratitude on a couple of topics.

You see, my wife has been on vacation for the past week with some girlfriends. I’m grateful she could get away to recharge. She doesn’t do this often, maybe every year or two, and it is well deserved.

Over the course of the week, again and again, I have been reminded of and found a renewed appreciation for three things I feel compelled to share...

• My wife – Since this is the ‘professional’ social network, I won’t spend a lot of time on here, but I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without her. I am deeply grateful to my wife. This year we will celebrate 25 years of marriage. It’s been an amazing journey together…raising four kids, navigating career and life together. She has put up with me working late nights, traveling significantly, spending vacations on the phone, etc. etc. She is ultimately supportive of all that I do and has chosen to make our home her ‘workplace.’ She puts in a tremendous amount of dedication, time, and energy to so many aspects of our home and family that I cannot begin to cover them.

I truly believe stay-at-home moms are work-at-home moms.

• Working (outside the home) Mothers – I know this blends with the other areas listed here, but I think calling this out separately is important as well. Again, as I have spent this past week balancing things at home and at work, I am humbled at all that Mothers do. Everyone on this earth has a mother - it is something we all have in common (and let's face it, we need to find more common ground these days). I know that Mothers have a special bond with their kids and family. It is with the utmost respect that I recognize how hard this must be at times to balance all that mothers do. Thank you to each of you.
• Single Working Parents – Spending the past week as a temporary single parent has reminded or taught me a lot! Waking up kids, taking care of the dog, feeding everyone breakfast, shoveling snow, going to work all day, arranging dinner (at least one night just hoping the kids found food before I got home ??), doing laundry, just spending time together, and that’s just part of it all – I have a deep and profound appreciation for every single working parent that has to do it all. And my kids are 13, 17, and 20 (one more away at college), so they are pretty self-sufficient – they can feed themselves, do their laundry, etc. and it STILL is a lot of work!

I have a deep and profound appreciation for every single working parent that has to do it all.

Reflecting on just one week of this, I’m exhausted! 

So, truly, hats off to all those that work in and outside of the home, care for family, and maybe do it all single-handedly! You are amazing.

I recognize you, I appreciate you, and I celebrate you!