A matter of time

Recently someone asked me to do a project for them. I declined at first, making the person aware that I am not the right person for such project. It’s not really something I do, no matter what perception another has of me, said project has not been anywhere on my track record as something that I am known for. But the person was very insistent, so I said I could possibly come up with something. Essentially a very open ended commitment, as far as I am concerned.

Anyways, said person is demanding results now. Telling me I should be able to produce such a “small project” at whim. Whoa, hold up there. I was asked for a favor, not a job. There was no specific details or dead lines included in the “ I could possible come up with something”. I explained to the person, that I am a mother, never even mind that one of my children requires 24 hour care, that I work and I am in school. Now take that in for a second.

I am a mother.

Not enough. Simply not enough. I really get annoyed with that shit. It does not have to be just about a mother, it’s about being a parent. Period. Obviously, I am not pulling all this off by myself. I have an extremely supportive circle that I am deeply grateful for. But ever since I have been a mother, I have been working outside of the home, most times more than one job, and going to school intermittently while still working full time hours. No small feat, I say. But not enough. People seem to think you can just poop a pile of time out whenever they are in need of something from you. I’m sure that you already know that people making the most demands are the ones who are neither parents, nor doing anything else simultaneously. Such as working and going to school. Or going to school and volunteering somewhere. Any of those things, there’s plenty to choose from.

I know people who are “just” a mother or a father. How dare they, lol, I am really kidding here. Being a parent is the single most important job one can have because you are molding the future. In so many ways. I would hope that I, we, are passing a baton forward to carry the good that is in us forward to the children we are raising. And believe it or not, that takes time, energy, love and actually effort.