Kara and I could never have given birth to Hot (Sweaty) Mamas without the help of others. Sure, we did some of our work amidst a hurricane of children, armed with junk food and Barbie, err, educational movies for those moments of desperation. Sometimes, however, we had to leave the kids behind and for me that usually meant my girls would have a play date with my father-in-law, Grandpa Tony.
Grandpa Tony didn’t just facilitate writing time for me, he also helped me practice the very things we were writing about in our book. Prioritizing fitness and taking care of myself were logistically more convenient knowing Grandpa, who lives less than a mile away, was eager to spend time with his granddaughters.
It’s been almost two weeks since my father-in-law had his knee replaced, and he’ll likely be in a transitional care facility rehabbing his new joint for a while longer. Without Grandpa around, I find myself doing my version of Bible dipping: opening Hot (Sweaty) Mamas to random pages to get some
encouragement for my balancing act.
For the first time in five years, I’m working outside of the home on a regular basis, completing my internship for my master’s in counseling. I’m in school two nights a week. I’m the primary caregiver for my children and the main domestic engineer. I recently started coaching my daughter’s basketball team. We don’t use a cleaning service and rarely hire babysitters (with the very important exception of date night!), so I’m juggling. Lots. Sometimes it feels like things are falling through the cracks, and I’m playing child swap with my neighbor more than I’m used to. But I’m making this new “normal” work. I’m getting out there, staying active, and desperately finding time to exercise.
The point of this post it to offer kudos to every woman out there who is working hard to keep things going. Someone always has is more difficult, but we should be proud to find our way during both calm and rocky waters…
Cheers to each and every one of you for making this work as best you can. When the going gets tough, the hot and sweaty keep going!
-Laurie
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