Guest blog by Julie Rivera, Julie Rivera Photography
I choose to be a stay at home mom. I am thankful our military life allows me to do that. However. Ahem. I don’t always love my job as a stay at home mom. There was a time in my not so distant past when I was awarded medals for my job performance. Honest to goodness medals.
Mamas don’t get medals. We get mounds of artwork. We get shy little requests for songs at bedtime. We get more than anyone’s fair share of the grotesque underbelly of life with young children. We get spontaneous hugs and kisses.
But sometimes we are able to get away. I absolutely believe it can be one of the best things any mom can do for herself and for her family. Oh, I know it is no simple task to just pack up and go! There is loathsome meal planning, three or four runs to the grocery store to stock up on essentials, and laundry to wash. There are instructions to write out to ensure the girls get to their respective schools on time, with lunches they might eat. There is a futile trip to the mall to buy “fashionable, non-mom” clothes. There is a suitcase and toiletry case to pack up and airline tickets to print. And childcare? Yep, you have to sort that out, too. Thankfully, my mom is willing to lavish her special love on the girls, allowing me peace of mind knowing they are in good hands.
I left my family for four days to immerse myself in a warm, encouraging community of photographers gathered in Ohio for a conference. I do photography to see myself separately from my family. It is what I can claim as my own. I spoke in shutter speeds and metering modes and enjoyed every moment of it. I watched other photographers work and learned things I want to improve in my own business.
I did not cut anyone’s food. I didn’t have to ask my dinner companions if anyone needed to run to the bathroom before we left. I was responsible for only myself each morning. I stayed up late and talked with other adults. My brain rested. The five hundred things I think about in my normal day were put on hold as I focused solely on the conversation at hand.
Then I flew home. (And if you haven’t been in an airport alone in awhile…it is FABULOUS to buy a coffee and stroll from one terminal to another. Without dragging an uncooperative, exhausted, hungry toddler behind you for what feels like miles.)
I was physically exhausted from so much talking and so little sleeping, but I was mentally rested. I was rejuvenated and ready to meet my husband with a big kiss and wrap my girls in a big hug. No one handed me a medal, but I felt the satisfaction of being needed by the people to whom I want to give the very best of me.
Taking four days away from what I see as my “normal” life allows me to see my day to day in a new light. Four days might be impossible for some. But book a hotel room for yourself for an overnight. Swap babysitting with a friend so you can get out for a couple of hours. Don’t say no when someone offers you a chance to leave your world within your house. Don’t look at all the reasons it is easier to stay home; don’t believe yourself to be indispensable.
It is okay to leave. Trust me. You’ll love it.
Julie Rivera has lived within the military her entire life. First as a dependent of a Navy Supply Corps Officer, next as an active duty Navy Supply Corps Officer, and now as the wife of an Army Artilleryman. She has over seven years experience as a mother and over five years experience as the owner of Julie Rivera Photography. Her children might be among the most chronicled on the planet and she absolutely loves when she has the chance to turn her lens on new families and children. See more of her work on her website at http://www.julieriveraphotography.com.
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