Reflecting on Your 'Why' for Working From Home

 

For Work at Home Moms, the concept of their "Why" is often viewed through a positive lens. Your "Why" serves as your inspiration, your motivation, your guiding light. When you need that extra push to step out of your comfort zone, give a little more effort, or persevere in challenging times, your "Why" is there to steer you in the right direction. It is the driving force behind your success.

Today, I found myself pondering the "Why" in a slightly different context. I had a sick puppy on my hands, and I was knee-deep in puppy vomit. As a relative newcomer to the world of raising puppies, I had been repeatedly warned about the level of effort involved. Still, I thought, "I've raised two children. How hard can raising a puppy be?" Well, here's one key difference: newborn babies don't come equipped with sharp little fangs, at least mine didn't. So, in the midst of changing the gauze patches on my shredded arms and enduring hours of puppy training, I couldn't help but fall in love with this furry troublemaker. He became another addition to my list of "Why's."

So, as I sat down to compose my work at home mom newsletter, I suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of my furball starting to vomit once more. In that moment, my initial thoughts were far from the heartwarming "Why" I had grown accustomed to. Instead, I found myself thinking:

•  "Why on earth am I the one handling this while my husband gets to enjoy the peace and quiet of his office?"
• "Why isn't HE dealing with cleaning up the 8th pile of unpleasantness?"
• "Why can't I have a little peace and quiet during my work?"

After tending to the puppy, soothing him, and changing his bedding, I tossed another load of laundry into the machine. Then I settled into bed with my sick 7-year-old and my 3-year-old to read them stories. At that moment, I had time to gather my thoughts, and I realized that dealing with a lot (and I mean a lot) of puppy puke was a small price to pay for the incredible moments of family life.

Later, when I spoke to my husband about our day, I didn't lead with a detailed account of my adventures in puppy cleanup. Instead, I shared stories about our children. I told him how our daughter wanted to plant jelly beans to grow a jelly bean tree and how our kids were playing a creative version of the game of Life. According to their rules, the player who could load the most parents into the car was the winner. This is why I choose to stay at home.

If, in the midst of a chaotic day, a furry little tail wags in joy when I enter the room, it's an added bonus.

So, the next time your heartwarming "Why" temporarily transforms into a plea for assistance, take a deep breath. Consider all the experiences and memories you'd be missing out on, both the wonderful and the less-than-ideal ones, if you weren't a work-at-home mom. Your "Why" is what truly makes it all worthwhile.