Solitary Confinement? Yes, Please

I’m not wishing to go to prison, or to solitary confinement. But there are days in the life of a full time working mom when it sounds inviting. Much like the introvert that needs that isolation to recharge, so the Mom could use a little alone time to remind herself to breath and to relax…especially every muscle in the shoulder. A surgeon once described the pinch of pain in my shoulder as “mom syndrome”. He said it hurt because I was holding the weight of the world on them.

Well, at least the little world that consists of my immediate family.

People are surprised when I say I work outside on the weekends. “Why don’t you make the kids help you?” I have, actually. But honestly? I really like gardening on my own at times. Getting up at 6 am means no sleeping in, but the plus side, the exchange is gardening in the quiet hours of the morning. No cars driving about. No people passing by on their walk. Just a cool breeze, the sun coming up and the chirp of birds. Sure, being in Southern California means the distant sounds of traffic, but as a Californian, my ears have learned to translate that noise. I can make it into ocean waves or wind through the pine.

I love my family. I like going places and doing things with them. However, I need those breaks, those times alone to regroup. It is actually my time to reflect on what’s go on during the week, to make a list of what I’d like to accomplish over the weekend, and what I plan to do the start of the next week. It helps take my fractured thoughts and put them into some order, some kind of sense.

Would I rather play out my quiet time alone on the beach or in the woods? Absolutely. Unfortunately, my lifestyle doesn’t permit many of those opportunities. I’ll get them, on family trips. But for now…to keep my sanity, I’ll stick to weekend gardening.

Boy, do I miss Pismo Beach…. *sigh*

 

dp