lesson three | having a mini-break puts things into perspective

"Being a parent is so hard, and I have full-time help. How do the mothers without nannies do it?" - Charlotte York

Being only a few lines short of finishing today's blog posting, I had to rush off to a hairdressing appointment. The boys were fed and ready for bed, while DH arrived home with only a moment to spare before I had to go.

My hairdresser was flat out when I arrived, but I was child-free. I was happy to drink my cuppa and read a magazine. After all, I hadn't read any fashion magazine for months. As the apologies flowed for the wait, there were also some comments about seeing me on my own and not recognising me without my boys. After all, they're always with me.

After my haircut, I realised that I had no pressing appointments to rush home to. The shopping was done, and I didn't need to buy a thing. So I walked around the shops, mindlessly.

It was wonderful.

And I realised it has been so long since I went shopping on my own without rushing around with errands to do, or prepare for birthdays, or anything.

I could just browse.

Then I decided to see a movie too. And as I sat in the cinema surrounded by packs of women watching SATC*, there was a scene that I could relate to at that moment.

It was the scene between Charlotte and Miranda and their heartfelt (and funny) discussion about the difficulties of being mothers. Being a mother is hard. Guilt becomes our middle name if we lose our cool with our kids, or if we're not with them every minute of the day. And the big one: we beat ourselves up over not loving every minute of motherhood. Children can drive us absolutely crazy.

By the time the movie ended, I was excited to go home and see my family. But I realised that having a little mini-break always makes me miss my family and want to be with them. I might feel like I'm going bonkers at times, but I love them to bits.

Nothing like a bit of fresh perspective.

*Okay, okay. You know I'm not a fan of Sex and the City. I missed the whole SATC crazyness as it all happened when we lived in a developing country and in remote West Australia. But when I queued up at the cinema, I confess I hadn't heard of any of the other movies showing. And I did see the first movie with my SATC obsessed step-daughter Leah (and it was a little funny).