A Woman of Leisure

It is not lost on me that although my routine has altered drastically in the last week, in some ways it hasn’t changed much at all. Before the unceremonious proceedings that occurred on my ill fated February 5th (How’s that for alliteration?) my morning schedule was fine tuned. Each day, I got up, showered, prepared lunches, ate breakfast, dropped my daughter off at school and arrived to work about an hour early. After trekking to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee, I’d hunker in at my desk, reviewing emails, developing a list of action items and preparing for the day.

This past week hasn’t been remarkably different. I get up, shower, prepare my daughter’s lunch, eat breakfast, drop her off at school, drive home, generally forget to make coffee, and sit down in front of the computer to review emails, LinkedIn, or to write this blog. However after that point, the path of similarity diverges.

Yesterday morning, the variation came in the form of a 9:00 email from a friend in my Adoptive Mom’s Group, who looking for adult companionship invited a few of us to lunch. Now those of you who have been reading this blog will note that this is my second luncheon engagement in the past week--don’t forget I’m still getting paid. However, one lunch in a week would have been pretty spectacular given my old routine, but two lunches? Well, la-de-da.

Except that this lunch had valuable implications.

I have been a member of our mothers’ group since my daughter was an infant. We meet several times a year, often on a Friday night and let me be clear that I treasure the group. The dialogues we engage in with regard to our mutual questions, concerns and joys relating to our children are vital and rewarding. Yet, for years I struggled to get to the meetings.

My knowledge of astrology is limited, but born under the sign of Cancer, my instincts are supposed to be toward hearth and home so to speak, and regardless of what day I was born, they are. So on many of those meeting nights, I would come home, tired to the bone from working all week, torn and slightly resentful (--dare I say “crabby?”) toward anything that took me away from time with my family. As a result, I skipped a lot of those get-togethers. However, yesterday, when the spontaneous email request arrived, without hesitation, I said yes. My morning hours easily adjusted themselves and I arrived at the restaurant at noon. Oh my. It’s a brave new world out there, and who knew that some of it could be fun?

A positive offshoot of this disquieting unemployment situation may encompass more time with these women I care about, thereby expanding our shared areas of interest. In truth, I could happily spend my whole life talking about my daughter, but now that I have lost the means by which I identified myself outside of my family, it is essential to bear in mind that I remain a person distinct from them. So it didn’t hurt to discover that a few of my lunch companions yesterday have been reading this blog. Yea, I have readers! (Thank you!)

Here is where it gets better. After lunch (which mercifully included an amazing and strong cup of coffee) I had time to get home a minute after my daughter arrived on the bus. We chatted before we both got down to homework—hers related to Trigonometry, Biology or Law, and mine—placing a check mark next to an item on my “What about My Future List” which meant calling the outplacement counselor with whom I am supposed to meet. He wasn’t available.

Good, something to aspire to today.

(In the spirit of full disclosure, I will confess that as I gave this blog entry its final tweak, the outplacement gentleman called. We have an appointment scheduled for next week.)