Sandwiched Club

Through the Nov/Dec school holidays, Mrs Bacon came to the realization that her children needed her, A LOT. Master Focaccia needed someone there to build a habit of accountability and Ms Cheesy needed mummy’s undivided attention. They also needed more outdoor time, A LOT more outdoor time.

All this required Mrs Bacon to set aside time for the kids beyond her job and career:

• Going into work earlier was one of the practices she started to do. Lining her meetings up one after the other till lunch. This meant doing the follow ups after in the afternoon.
• Once after lunch, she would make her way home and complete the rest of her work while being around the kids – coaching them and exercising with them.

The children loved it. They responded well to her presence: Homework, running, cycling, basketball, badminton, squash, even playing. There was only one problem: Energy.

Mrs Bacon had prioritized work, children and family to the point that she just did not have enough time for herself. As weeks passed, the regime wore her down. She felt listless and frustrated wondering when the day would end so she could have time for herself. She seemed burnt out. (Most would argue that she could just give the kids the screen but it was out of the question for her)

So, one morning, while the kids were in school, she set to writing. She knew she needed the time for herself without the noise. It was here where her mind could “wander” and as she wrote, she realized:

• She needed scheduled time like this weekly to organize her thoughts.
• She also needed more sleep, more supplements (fish oil, vitamin C and Magnesium), more water daily.
• She also needed to think before speaking. – a discipline that required more practice especially when tempers were high with the kids. The regret of saying the wrong thing seemed to really haunt her.

With that, she would the have space to be creative, to be daring, to be herself again.

“Without deep reflection, one knows from daily life that one exists for other people.” Albert Einsten