I sometimes picture work/life balance like one of those old, wooden
see-saws I played on as a child.  I am on one end (life) and a friend is
on the other (work) and we ride up and down, propelling each other into
the air, only to land safely again back on the ground.  As a child, the
ride was a rush going so high and landing so quickly but then there were the times when my friend and I would steady the board and balance, trying not to tip either end, feet dangling delicately over the earth. Those were the moments that required the most concentration and self-control.

If being a working Mom is like that see-saw, the work end catapulted me
into outer space this past summer, leaving me no time for the "life"
part of life.  I should have caught myself early on when several weeks
slipped by and I ignored all of my writing projects (including this
blog).  Next, my workouts dwindled to the point of non-existence.  And
then my good friend SLEEP took a hit, leaving me to lie awake for hours
thinking about my work project and all of its stressors.   At one point,
exhaustion started to feel normal.  And since sleep affects moods, I
have to say I wasn't the nicest person to be around.  I found myself
yelling at my son more, snapping at my husband, sighing at people taking
too long in the grocery line, and cursing loudly at drivers in the left
lane moving a little too slow for my rushed state-of-mind.

This summer, I missed far too many days at the water park with my son.
There weren't enough lazy afternoons eating popsicles on the deck or
nights lying stretched out on lounge chairs mentally connecting the
lines between the stars.  I never went for walks with my family and our dog after dark, holding my husband's hand, and chatting with neighbors along the way. Somewhere along those months plotted out on my project plans at work, task after task, I forgot to live.

The sobering moment of coming back down to earth was the realization
that I also forgot about the people that I love. Being a working mother
has made me the most organized and orderly person that I know but in the end that hurt me.  I overtasked.  Our jobs are supposed to provide
better lives for us, not become our lives.  I blinked and summer is
gone.

How did it happen?  I forgot that the see-saw was supposed to be fun.  I
forgot that it was supposed to be a friend at the other end, laughing in
exhilaration with me, rather than an overbearing foe making me lose all
control.  I forgot about balance.  My lesson learned is to remember to
live in the moment, avoid the extremes, and play more!  Embrace today
and spend some time outside counting stars, riding bikes and standing roadside waiting for the ice cream truck to arrive. Who knows if we get another summer?  Our jobs don't define us; we define us.  The balance comes in knowing the difference.