Linda's ONE wish for 2008

In 2008, my wish would be that I am THERE for my family without distractions.

In 2006,I went back to grad school. For most of 2006, I worked full-time as a reporter, part-time teaching at a college, and I was a grad student with very demanding courses with a high work load. It meant that everything I did infringed on everything else. My free time was in short supply, and I rarely spent time with my extended family, and my time with my immediate family was often shared.

I finished grad school in 2007, I am still teaching at a college, and I have almost totally eliminated my work at the newspaper. My free time is much more abundant than it was, but I have developed a horrible habit during the last two years. I talk to my children while writing and/or typing. I grade papers when I should be spending time with family.

In 2008, I want my family to have my full attention. I will continue to work, but I will work during work hours/times. When I am with my family, I want to be WITH my family. I don't want to be grading papers (or homework) while camping (something I did quite a bit during 2006/2007).

In other words, I want to quit answering my children's questions when I am only half-way attentive because I am also staring at my computer, which leads to me agreeing to things that I didn't realize I agreed to.

I think in order to do this, I will have to also be more attentive to work. I want my schedule to be more decisive. When I am working, I am working. When I am with my family, I am with my family. It is so easy for work to intrude into your personal life, and I want to make sure I don't let it. I feel like I've been very selfish for the last two years doing what I need to do for me (and I don't regret it). I feel blessed because my family supported me and let me be selfish. But I find myself coming back to my real life and realizing my children have grown up. They have more responsibilities and are more opinionated.

There was even a moment last month when I went to pick up my son from his school. A teacher I knew through his older sisters saw me and asked, "You have a child in this building?" She hadn't seen me although this was my son's second year. Granted, it is easier to miss seeing her in the larger school than it was in the past, but I also realized I hadn't been there for many things I had done in the past.

I don't need to do it all, but when I make time for my family, I need to make sure my family is my top priority. My new schedule will allow me to do this, but I also need to make sure I change my own ways. I don't need to multi-task every moment of the day.