Solace

As a mom, I have realized my need to cherish small moments of peace. My son is 3 and has not yest grasped the concept that I would like to go to the bathroom alone despite his recent requests for "privacy". My daughter is 7 months and cannot for the life of her understand why I would ever not want to be within her arms reach and since she has just discovered that she is in control of the noises that come out of her mouth quiet time with her now firmly cemented as a thing of the past.

In addition to my bustling home life, I am also currently working 3 jobs. My main job, a part-time therapist position, and I am still baking for $. With all this going on, I have stumbled on some pretty unlikely places to take a moment to catch my breath and decompress. If anyone else has any more I would love to hear them.

The first is my car. This comes with some stipulations. It must be after I have dropped my kids off on the way to work or somewhere or on my way home. I use my time in the car to do fun things that I cannot really do at home. For example, I talk on the phone with my friends. (Don't worry, I use my headset. I may not be safe from the radiation in my ear, but my hands are free.) I also sometimes just drive with the radio off, let my thoughts wander and process my day. I know I'm recharged when the silence becomes to much and I start to long to hear my kids voices and yearn for one of Husband's jokes.

My next new favorite place is the elevator. Even if people are talking and being irritating while waiting they seem to get quiet once the elevator doors close. Next time you get in an elevator think about it. People will either stop talking or get off their phones. People will stop talking to the coworker next to them. It is amazing. I am not sure what it is about that tight space that makes people hush, but I LOVE it! I stare as the numbers change and take as many breaths as I can without being conspicuous, although I will admit that I sometimes sigh when it opens on my floor, but I am amazed at how that short ride allows me to regroup.

I often feel like I am running from thing to thing and moment to moment and I am constantly on alert for ways to make the most of the time that I am given and I have found these two places work really well for me. I have even started to enjoy a slow walk back to my desk from the bathroom. When we first moved into our new space I was really annoyed that the restroom was no longer in office. Mainly, it was because I am lazy and did not want to walk and  plus I did not want to share with other offices. I had just gotten used to my office mates level of nasty and now I was expected to add more people to the list, but I digress. I now enjoy being far enough away from my desk that people don't stand around and wait for me to return and that I can't be paged in there. It is just one more way I escape the rat race.