So this is going to be a vent session... and hopefully a lesson will emerge. Otherwise, at least I won't have a heart attack from the rage!
This is the Holiday Season. This means that people are supposed to reflect on and appreciate what they have. And maybe just maybe give to others. Now what you're supposed to give is any number of things... help, presents, money, friendship, love, etc. You are not supposed to give other people crap!
I understand that what I do for a living isn't important. It's not even something I enjoy doing, but it's a job. I understand that some of the people in my life have jobs that are important - police officer, teacher - and that's wonderful. They can give back to the community every day.
Well let me tell you something... my job may not be important but my career is! My career is being a mom. My career is being here for my sons and taking care of them. Making sure they are safe, loved and know that their mother is here for them.
I had an important job once. A job that saved lives. I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher. I loved that job. I could have retired at that job. However, I had to make a choice. Family or job. This is a choice a lot of women have to make. Some choose not to have a family. Some choose both. In my case I couldn't stay at the dispatch center and have a family. I never saw my husband - he worked days with weekends off and I worked graves with weekdays off. Not seeing him makes it pretty hard to have kids.
So I made the choice to leave a job that was "important" for one that certainly wasn't. But my job gave me the opportunity to have the two wonderful boys I have now and begin the career of being their mother.
Does that mean that what I do every day is less important then the rest of my family? Does that mean because I left a job that was important I am less important in the lives of my family? Sometimes I feel that's exactly what that means.
You see, maybe I shouldn't have been hurt by this, but I was. Someone posted on Facebook about how they received a tree for free for Christmas (in honor of the 26 kids in Connecticut). They went on to say how and I quote "one of my kids is a first responder, one is helping buddies put a roof on the house of a family in need and we have an elementary school teacher in the family. You get the picture."
Now there are four kids in the family and only three are mentioned. What does that say to the one left out? It tells me what I do isn't important. What I do in respect to this world is unimportant. That angers me. What I do is teach my boys whats important in life. I teach them to respect others, to care about others and to give to others when we can in any way we can.
I don't advertise when I do something for other people. It's not about the recognition. It's not about the thank yous or the kudos or the job well done. It's about teaching my children right and wrong. Teaching them to be caring individuals. But I will give you an example of what I taught them this year.
This year we donated toys to the children's pediatric unit at our local hospital. I took both boys down to the store and they got to pick out several toys they thought would be fun. We then went down and donated them. We left them at the Bank that was collecting them. The boys had fun. I had fun. It was an important lesson for them to learn. There were no kudos, props or adda boys. It is because I only work part time and can spend the rest of my time with them, that I am able to teach them these kinds of lessons.
Isn't that what this season is all about?
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