Monday, June 7, 2010

Same Shoes, Different Day

Last week, during a workout, a new mom was lamenting stiffness in her Achilles, complaining she could barely walk each morning when she first gets out of bed. Another mother of a newborn, joined in the conversation asking if she used to wear heels a lot for work.

"It really can take awhile for your legs to get used to flats."

I chuckled.

Three years ago today I started writing in this little corner of the Internet. Peanut was nearly 10 months old. I was finally leaving that fog of infant upheaval and settling into a fairly predictable routine. As a result, I was finally realizing that I had really and truly left my job. Although I didn't want to go back to my job, I started missing some of what it offered: intellectual challenge, adult conversation, personal success, and, you know, a daily excuse to wear fabulous shoes. This space became my place to explore those feelings and, maybe, just maybe, provide a little of that stimulation and camaraderie I was missing.

Three years later, I am so thankful for this space. Thankful for the venting it allows me to do; the opportunity it provides for me to take a step back and analyze a challenge I'm facing - whether that's potty training or guilt about living far away from family; the conversations I've had as a result of a post. Three years later, however, I am still struggling with what I want to be when I grow up, how I'm going to on-ramp, and when my kids and I will be ready to take that route.

Three years later, my legs are certainly much more acclimated to flats than heels, but the mama? Although I may wear the heels only on the rare occasion now, I think it's safe to say, I'm still just a high heeled girl adjusting to a life in flats.

3 comments:

Meredith said...

Happy Anniversary, Mama! I can't wait to see what the next few years bring with this forum! :)

Love you,
Sis

Michele said...

It has been almost 5 years to the day that I boxed up that last pair of heels and pulled out the flip flops. 3 kids later, I also think of the day when I can pursue "other" things. With a 5, 3 and 1 year old, I can say that time isn't any time soon. I enjoy reading your blog as I have experienced all the things you have (just a couple of years sooner). It is nice to know, there are Moms just like me that feel the same way about their lives before kids and after. Keep writing. Maybe I will see you sometime when you return home for the holidays. M. Dubay

Toni-Lee said...

Nice post! I just started to write about my transition to mommy-dome. It is pretty amazing. Thanks for sharing, I like your style!