As working moms, our days are filled with obligations - to our children, to our husbands, to our employers or businesses. We race at breakneck speed from the office to a client and then onto soccer practice. We're constantly focused on what's next - you know that and not forgetting our children at school.

And to me it feels like I've been doing this forever. I can barely remember a time before I was this person: mother, wife, professional. Then every once in a while something smacks me in the face and I remember what it was like to be single, childless, mortageless, and overall responsibility free (I know, even I find it hard to believe). I could eat by myself at a bar, I could go to a fabulous party on a weekday night, or I could spend Saturday night in my pj's and fuzzy slippers watching "Clueless." And it didn't matter what I decided to do because it effected exactly one person - me.

My friend Amy, summed up that era in a posting on Facebook about her young son deciding to study Ecuador - where she had spent a year teaching English as a second language - for his first grade geography goal. She posted that she "had almost forgotten how much I loved that year. What an amazing experience! To travel like that again...exploring a new land with absolute wonder and nothing but time."

I love the way she captured those days when every experience truly felt like an adventure and we were practicing being "grown ups." I think celebrating that person and that era of absolute freedom is something we should all do. I can't imagine any of us would trade in motherhood and the lives we've created with our families for Cosmos any night of the week (and if you would I have a fantastic counselor you should talk to). Oh sure we all have those "Calgon, take me away" moments when our children are driving us to drink. But we had those moments when life was less complicated too. Although I do still wish I had my first studio apartment out of college to escape to sometimes - 500 square feet that was ALL MINE!

So don't feel guilty about whipping out those old pictures once in a while, or giggling with a dear friend about the misadventures of your youth. It will only make the here and now feel even more precious.

If you like my blog you’ll love my book. Buy The Working Mommy’s Manual on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Working-Mommys-Manual-Nicole-Corning/dp/0615637418/ref=cm_sw_em_r_dp_6ZRcqb0QFT7P8_tt