The nightmare before x-mas

So here we are with the holiday season upon us. It's the time of year we need to sign up for what we will contribute to the class holiday parties, figure out how many days we have left to take off from work and allow for possible school assemblies and get all the gift shopping started and done. Did I mention family party planning?

At some point in my life my ambition got the best of me and I went full steam into my career and getting a master's degree to help me reach those ambitions. I guess in terms of my definition of success, I have achieved a small portion of what it means. Ok, so double my responsibilities and headaches. Managing 3 people at work is not much different than managing a 2 year old. I find myself needing to take a deep breadth and lock myself in the bathroom as much during the day as at night. In fact, I think the skills I have aquired as a parent help me be a better manager. That gets me to thinking... about that former friend who says women who work are greedy and selfish. Yes, maybe I will buy my son as much as I can afford for christmas. It's because at some point in my life my parents instilled in me a strong work ethic. They taught me to respect money and work hard for mine. They taught me the value of an education and to strive to be my personal best. What kind of world would this be if we all just wasted our talents and never wanted to be "more". There would be no art museums, no space exploration, no doctors or pharmacists. Imagine all the babies we would lose to a birth gone wrong? It is not greed. In most cases moms work because we have to, so what is wrong with wanting to be better and enjoy what we do if we have to leave our babies and get out there each day? Maybe as a society we do spend more than we need to, but just because we push ourselves to our fullest potential doesn't mean we should be condemned for wanting to make the most of that paycheck we need to get to the bank.

So, as I prepare to make the orange jello for the class Halloween party I think of my son and his friends and the smiles and giggles there will be at that table. I think of the "goody" bags I still need to fill. Greed? No. Maybe selfishness... I can't wait for those little smiles.