Balance

I’ve been submerged in paperwork and glued to my phone and laptop this week as I prepare for two complex weddings for Labor Day weekend. Since 2011 has been a sabbatical year for me, this change of pace with the risen intensity of my work feels a bit foreign.

As I work on our production documents, review schematics, and attend to the millions of details on the weddings, I could feel my adrenaline soaring. I am reminded of how much I love what I do, and how much I have missed this. For the past few weeks, I’ve been in my ‘zone’, incredibly focused and attentive to the work in front of me. I haven’t cooked dinner, laundry is backed up once again, and my iphone is glued to me 24/7. The only time I seem to be able to pull away is when Bridgette pleads for the 5th time for me to play with her, or when it’s time to tuck her in bed. The feeling of guilt is all too familiar, but that is quickly replaced by a trail of emails that sucked me into my laptop once again.

Last night, Alan had a work party to attend in the evening, so I needed to wrap my work up early and switch to my mommy hat for the evening. I was so engrossed in my work that I barely made it to her school before 6:00pm. After I picked her up, we went to our favorite sushi joint for a quick bite before heading to South San Francisco for my badminton night. I haven’t played for nearly two years but the minute I stepped onto the courts, I fell in love with this sport again. For two whole hours, I didn’t check my email, text messages, or phone calls. It felt really, really good. Even Bridgette got her first flavor of the sport! I came home feeling physically tired, but mentally refreshed. A reminder, once again, on how important it is to pull myself away from work to achieve a balance in my life.

There is so much joy when we make time for unstructured play, like building a bridge amongst bubbles…

Savoring the fresh berries at Farmer’s Market

Rolling on grass

Making feather crowns

And climbing fearlessly to see just how high we can go

This Labor Day weekend, I will be working up in Occidental while Alan and Bridgette soaks up the remainder of the summer that is left. I’ll miss the fun, but I’m looking forward to getting back in my groove for just a bit, and producing two extraordinary weddings with my team. When I told Bridgette what I will be doing this weekend, she immediately said to me, “Mommy, take me with you! Can I pleeeeease be your little wedding planner?”