Both knowingly and unknowingly, I was pulling myself together.
There was of course, vicious organizing of any and everything we owned: closets, files, the yard even.
After the election I had gained twelve pounds. On my small 5’5’ frame, it was a lot and my back and knees noticed. I was running quite a bit and eating less. It’s amazing how sitting at a desk when little chocolates are constantly within reach and eating so many business lunches, dinners, and coffees can just make it impossible to lose weight. Without that, I was eating extremely healthy. Yesterday a half of banana and peach with a little peanut butter for breakfast, and salad and other veggies for dinner. I only had a few pounds to go until I reached my day-of-election weight. I was going to get there.
I spent more time with the kids. Last night we ate dinner together, played Monopoly, then Jake and I walked Marley to the park and threw her the ball. On the way home we stopped at my parent’s to say hi. Because they lived that close. Because we could while they lived there and we lived here. Because we were all alive and healthy enough to exchange a quick hello.
“I’ve been meaning to clean my garage soon,” Papa said as he looked at me. With that one sentence I knew exactly what he was asking.
“Get rid of them,” I said quickly. “Get rid of all of them.”
He had my campaign yard signs, small and large, stacked neatly in a corner…just in case.
She was doing a decent job and gaining incredible name recognition, there was absolutely no way I could beat her with my Pollyanna attitude and recent streak of quitting. And, more importantly, I didn’t want to.
I felt like I was just gaining a freedom I had never known or accepted before. Although Dan and I had been married for ten years, I had never taken time off just to enjoy life, the kids, and pursue dreams. Since I was twelve and babysitting full time in the summer for $2 an hour, I have always worked. Every single summer of my life I have worked and had to answer to someone. This summer of course I would be working. Dan and I are extreme entrepreneurs with ten projects on our burner waiting to see which and how many stick. Even today I will be hustling our our clinics and showing one of our team members the relationship ropes. Before that coffee with my old Army recruiter who is in to telemedicine. Before that, coffee with a friend who may or may not do lofts and who may or may not be pushing business to an entity we are considering purchasing for the point of furthering a few other ideas we have.
Yet, here’s the difference. It’s all work I want to do. No one is making me do it. I want to do it. I’m excited for it. I’m excited to see my old friends and talk about new things. In so many ways I have felt like a geranium that has had too much sun, wilted and weathered, unpleasant to look at and barely hanging on. Seeing old friends with that first nice hug and cheek peck is like someone pouring a large watering can of water on me. I perk up, I’m pretty, I’m alive.
Here’s another difference, I’ll be doing work I know and I am comfortable with. I speak the language, I know the jargon, I’m the expert. I love medicine and helping others.
And finally, I like making the decisions whether it is a culture shift or where we go next. There is a lot to be said about being a key decision maker in an organization.
“I just wanted to be sure,” Jack said about the signs.
My mom: “That chapter of our life is over. We’re moving on.”
Yes, we are moving on.
Moving on with the obvious shed of noisy things. No to things that I am not passionate about. No to feeling pulled down. I say no to social events I really didn’t want to go to and stay home to do important tasks like play Monopoly with the boys, throw Marley the ball, and say hello to my parents.
There was of course, vicious organizing of any and everything we owned: closets, files, the yard even.
After the election I had gained twelve pounds. On my small 5’5’ frame, it was a lot and my back and knees noticed. I was running quite a bit and eating less. It’s amazing how sitting at a desk when little chocolates are constantly within reach and eating so many business lunches, dinners, and coffees can just make it impossible to lose weight. Without that, I was eating extremely healthy. Yesterday a half of banana and peach with a little peanut butter for breakfast, and salad and other veggies for dinner. I only had a few pounds to go until I reached my day-of-election weight. I was going to get there.
I spent more time with the kids. Last night we ate dinner together, played Monopoly, then Jake and I walked Marley to the park and threw her the ball. On the way home we stopped at my parent’s to say hi. Because they lived that close. Because we could while they lived there and we lived here. Because we were all alive and healthy enough to exchange a quick hello.
“I’ve been meaning to clean my garage soon,” Papa said as he looked at me. With that one sentence I knew exactly what he was asking.
“Get rid of them,” I said quickly. “Get rid of all of them.”
He had my campaign yard signs, small and large, stacked neatly in a corner…just in case.
She was doing a decent job and gaining incredible name recognition, there was absolutely no way I could beat her with my Pollyanna attitude and recent streak of quitting. And, more importantly, I didn’t want to.
I felt like I was just gaining a freedom I had never known or accepted before. Although Dan and I had been married for ten years, I had never taken time off just to enjoy life, the kids, and pursue dreams. Since I was twelve and babysitting full time in the summer for $2 an hour, I have always worked. Every single summer of my life I have worked and had to answer to someone. This summer of course I would be working. Dan and I are extreme entrepreneurs with ten projects on our burner waiting to see which and how many stick. Even today I will be hustling our our clinics and showing one of our team members the relationship ropes. Before that coffee with my old Army recruiter who is in to telemedicine. Before that, coffee with a friend who may or may not do lofts and who may or may not be pushing business to an entity we are considering purchasing for the point of furthering a few other ideas we have.
Yet, here’s the difference. It’s all work I want to do. No one is making me do it. I want to do it. I’m excited for it. I’m excited to see my old friends and talk about new things. In so many ways I have felt like a geranium that has had too much sun, wilted and weathered, unpleasant to look at and barely hanging on. Seeing old friends with that first nice hug and cheek peck is like someone pouring a large watering can of water on me. I perk up, I’m pretty, I’m alive.
Here’s another difference, I’ll be doing work I know and I am comfortable with. I speak the language, I know the jargon, I’m the expert. I love medicine and helping others.
And finally, I like making the decisions whether it is a culture shift or where we go next. There is a lot to be said about being a key decision maker in an organization.
“I just wanted to be sure,” Jack said about the signs.
My mom: “That chapter of our life is over. We’re moving on.”
Yes, we are moving on.
Moving on with the obvious shed of noisy things. No to things that I am not passionate about. No to feeling pulled down. I say no to social events I really didn’t want to go to and stay home to do important tasks like play Monopoly with the boys, throw Marley the ball, and say hello to my parents.
