Due to my son’s illness and also come inclement weather my small family was able to basically have a three day workweek and let me tell you, it was wonderful. There’s no denying it, our apprehension about daycare is in many ways well founded as our son truly does enjoy spending time with his parents much more than he enjoys spending time with anyone else. Perhaps his workweek daycare absences make us grow closer to one another for fear of the reality of being away again next week, but something tells me that he’d be just as happy with Mom & Dad without the daycare.
As I type my son is laying on his playmat on the floor. He’s rolled himself onto his back and is gleefully talking to the dancing lights on the ceiling courtesy of the waterdroplets reflecting the sun’s bright rays outside the window. Just a moment ago we were all down on that playmat having a gigglefest about our good fortune of having more time to spend together. The coming weeks will bring their own challenges, of course, but something tells me that we’ll be fine. As long as we have some free time to spend together everything will be okay.
Tomorrow is the last day we will have off from our wonderful “off-week” spent primarily at home. We’ve had some good homemade chili, we’ve read some good books, we’ve gotten some household chores taken care of, we’ve gotten healthier, and all of this is thanks to a couple of days off. My father will now take a day off when he’s feeling ill. This was not always the case when I was younger. Age gives wisdom… and my father takes the day off so that he’ll be healthier tomorrow. Work can wait one day. Health is important. Though I doubt I’ll be employing my father’s wisdom until it is naturally bestowed by age, I do hope that I can learn from this “off-week.” I hope that I can learn that a couple of well spent days at home can be a cure for all kinds of ills… and a natural boost to familial bonding.