21 March 2010
After spending 216 consecutive hours with 4 noisy children at home during the recent school holidays, multi-tasking and trying to squeeze in as much revision as I could with the 2 older girls as it is now the exam season, I decided to give myself a well-deserved lunchbreak and arranged for a lunch get-together with my old friends from work.
It was a refreshing change to my daily routine. A much welcomed get-together with old friends. Great to catch up with all the gossip at the office. And even better to be eating something other than fried rice, fried noodles, porridge, steam fish, macaroni, etc., etc.!
One question that was repeatedly posed to me during the outing was whether I missed the office... ...whether i was harbouring any thoughts of returning to the corporate world....whether I was bored with being a house-wife (utterly dislike that word!) - correction STAY HOME MUM...as i repeatedly tell my well-meaning friends. The answer was YES, i did miss my friends at the office. I did miss the company of adults. But NO, I am not harbouring any thoughts of returning to the corporate world.
Though being a stay home mum has its own set of challenges and a different kind of stress altogether, I would not at this instant, trade all that madness to voluntarily return to the corporate pressure-cooker. At least not now, nor for the immediate future. And definitely not to the pressure-cooker that i was in at my last workplace where toilet breaks were unheard of during the never-ending conference calls with my ex-boss across the Straits! [Had some pretty good times though, made some great friends and did have some good colleagues there.]
I have been an avid listener of the Light FM Breakfast show for the last couple of months, especially their Breakfast Shows on Wednesday, when they have their regular clinical psychologist - Dr Paul J - as their guest. The more I listen to that segment, the more I know for myself, that I have strike the right balance in my life - in giving Tio's Little Ones the best start to life that Mr T and I can give them in terms of nurturing them, guiding them and counselling them.
Balancing survival in the corporate pressure-cooker with the growing needs of our expanding family led me nowhere...as i began then to realise that i was only fairing mediocre in both jobs. With 4 very active members at the Zoo, a dedicated full-time Zoo Manager was required and the time was right with No#2 starting her primary education. With 2 kids, I suppose we could still manage our time relatively comfortable. But with 4 very active bambinoes, there has been no turning back since the day the decision was made.
The only trade-off is that we have to put on hold our holiday plans to Disneyland as well as other exotic holiday pursuits. But that's okay. I can live without the more materialistic side of life...sometimes it leaves me feeling a little envious but then, i just walk away from the shop's tempting window display...or i just very abruptly flip to the next page of the magazine advert and move on. Very little consolation is needed to perk me up again. After all, I do get unlimited access 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to kiss, hug and cuddle and muck around with my Little Prince...something that i did not get to do with my 3 Little Princesses...as those times were limited to only to the late weekday evenings and to the weekends.
So, I have no regrets. I love my current job.
It has its upsides [I get to spend unlimited time with the Little Ones during their childhood]
and its downsides [lack of financial independence and during those extreme moments when the Zoo throws countless challenges at you, more adult time, more ME time, would have been welcomed with open arms]...but then, so do all jobs.
Dr Paul J once asked what's the most stressful occupation in Malaysia.
Husbands and Fathers, please take note that The Most Stressful Job [you can go to the link here], in the opinion of a highly regarded medical professional, is that of a WORKING MOTHER! So to all Working Mothers, keep up the good work. Hold on for as long as you can. If you feel overwhelmed, just remember that you are not alone.
~ Written from the Heart
by a contented Zoo Keeper who continues to manage her Zoo the best she knows how, and who is ever so thankful to the Zoo's Financier that she no longer has The Most Stressful Job in town!
Editors' note: Judging from the fact that this post which was first written on 21 March 2011 took almost a month to complete and be edited, my current job does not allow much relaxation time. But once, again, no complaints. Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Always.
