When it rains, it pours

Today was my first full day away from Raza. Today was also a jam packed day. Today also served as an important test drive before I leave for Miami on Thursday for three days.

I had a series of meetings that were all important to me and I was determined to make it to all of them. I literally had to be in three places at once! A conference call from 11-12:15, a live event that required setup, catering and opening remarks from 10-1, and another meeting at a different venue from 1-4. Oh and I also had to pump. I got pretty creative and somehow it all worked out. I was a frazzled, frantic mess but apparently it didn’t look like it from the outside.

None of it would have been possible without my mom. She came back to help us for another three weeks. She has been my saving grace. Raza adores her and she is so patient with all of us. I had no worries about leaving him at home because I knew he was with someone who loves him.

I also asked for help. There is no way I could do everything, do it well and remain sane. I am fortunate enough to have a wonderful group of friends. When you ask for help, they show up. And they did just that today. Three of them. In the pouring rain. They helped with registration, lunches and running the microphone for questions. All were last minute requests because things happen and others had to cancel. I could trust them to do the job and do it well and as a result I had fewer things to worry about it on my never ending list of things to do.  

I was also honest. If someone asked how I was doing, I would tell them I am good but frazzled. I am by no means perfect and don’t want to pretend to be. The reality is we all make it work but how we get there is a messy squiggly line. Case and point: I started my day with spit up on my shirt and didn’t even notice it until I had arrived to the first event.

My first event was with 75 eager women who wanted to learn from five all stars on women in leadership. Each panelist was vulnerable and honest about the challenges they faced, the sponsors that helped them, the tribe that celebrated them and most importantly that they could not have done it alone.

It was fitting that this event kicked off my day. It was a much needed reminder that we need to make choices, we need to believe in ourselves and we need to surround ourselves with people that uplift us.

I ended my day with a phone call from one of my mentors. I didn’t know it but I needed this impromptu therapy session. Her advice: life will forever be a balancing act from now on and I need to trust my instincts in deciding what I truly need to do and when it is ok to say no but the guilt will never completely go away and that’s ok.

I am constantly learning about what it means to be a mom. So far I know that mothers make it all work.  They are always frazzled. They harbor endless mom guilt. They multitask. They show up. Even if it rains. My cure for the guilt involved 90 minutes of play time with my munchkin which left me feeling like the luckiest person in the world every time he smiled at me.