She Works Hard For Her Money.....

Nomi says,


After 'resting' my brain for about 2 years, I decided to go back to work...outside the home. I mean, being a stay at home mum is a full time job so by working outside the home as well, it is as good as holding down two jobs:)

 

But, it was good having the experience of being a full time mum. I mean, hats off to those women who dedicate their lives to their home and family, especially to those who do not have any form of help. Sometimes it is harder to stay at home - as doing so is pretty much a 24/7 commitment. There are no annual leaves, medical leaves, benefits, insurance or pay for some. The mum is the chauffeur, cook, butler, wife, maid, home manager, girl Friday, nurse, gardener, handyman,  amongst other things all rolled into one. They are wonder women, actually. Sometimes, working outside the home is a little break of sorts, where a woman can have a few hours to herself (although she is working), talk to other adults and hear herself think.

I realized that as a stay at home mum i had flexible time, and I slipped into a state of slobbish-ness...I mean, there was no absolute urgency for household chores to be done immediately. As long as the home was generally clean with no mold growing on the dining room walls, or cockroaches running around the kitchen floor, some chores could sort of wait. The days melded into one another with not much direction to it except for cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. A sense of boredom, purposelessness and a growing restlessness became more pronounced. Running was erratic as well. So, i felt that i was disintegrating into a pot of stagnating left overs.

So, when the opportunity came to get back to the grind stone albeit part time, i decided to dive into it. And it has been a blessing in so many ways. Because of time constraint in having a job outside the home and without having any domestic help, the days have to be molded into some semblance of a plan..with schedules and timetables.  Things have become more structured and running has a definite place.

The days are busy with a job, managing the family and the home and squeezing in runs whenever possible. I try to run at least three times a week. Two sixty minute runs on the treadmill and one 75 to 90min run at the park during weekends. Which is doable and all about i can manage....and about all the training that i have for the up coming half marathon in Singapore.

So, in my humble opinion, majority of women by virtue of their gender alone are traditionally born with the inheritance of a ready made full time job :) ..anything else is extra. It take planning, juggling and managing to get through most days.  So, to all the women out there, whether you decide to to be CEO of your home, or work 2 jobs or even more...and run races on top of all that, i salute you!!!