From the Diary of a Working Mom

By Lianne Pompeo, Deputy Director, Business Systems and Digital Strategy, Radiology, Bayer U.S.

5am.

Quiet.

The sun hasn’t even fully woken up yet. I keep my eyes closed but my brain starts spinning the list of emails that need to be sent, pecking at me like that wood pecker that has been trying to knock my house down for the last three days. I think about the cute lunches I thought about packing for my kids that I saw on Instagram last night while trying to decide which conference call I should accept at 3 pm the next day. But Woody the Wood Pecker hasn’t started pecking yet and everything is quiet.

Quiet.

My absolute favorite sound.

For the next few minutes, I will lay still not daring to breathe too deeply just enjoying the peace. I know if I open my eyes, the sound will wake the twins sleeping in the next room and, in an instant, alarms will be blaring as if announcing the start of a race. I keep my eyes shut but reach for my phone before the alarm goes off. It’s not there.

Where’s my phone?

My eyes snap open and I sit up patting the bed and checking the night stand.

Missing.

This happens a lot.

Suddenly the door to the bedroom next door swings open and the pitter patter of not so little 9 year old feet rush towards my room. There is a slight pang of dread with an equal rush of joy to see the two sets of sleepy eyes and messy hair attack me where I sit, but once I’m smothered in hugs and kisses I know which feeling wins. As much as these little ones would like me to get to focus on some cuddles and napping, the day has started.

Immediately the high level negotiations begin between fruit and Frosted Flakes; who gets to wear that particular pink shirt; and whether today calls for a side or braided pony tail.

At some point someone yells, “I found your phone, Mom!”

With the dog fed and walked, kids fed a mix of what I prefer and what they want, a solid lunch without any artistic flair packed, and no one wearing that pink shirt or a pony tail, we head out the door to school and work respectively.

Where’s my phone?

Like I said this happens a lot.

In minutes, I scoop it out of the refrigerator and away we go.

There is a quick drop off at school filled with singing and blown kisses then I point the car towards Whippany, NJ.

Some days there is a quick call to the husband to wish each other a good day and review what activities and what we can make for dinner and even a work conference call or one on one call.

Did I say I love you at the end of my conference call instead of to my husband?

Soon enough I’m pulling in front of the shiny windows reflecting the sun and I take a deep breath. Some days it feels like at this point I have already put in a full day. At times there are pangs of guilt and worry but I like to think I have started to figure it out. I’m not the best ALL the time at everything and that is ok. We all have a lot of things pulling at us and sometimes we have to just stop, breathe and enjoy the quiet and put ourselves first. Or maybe I’m just too tired to feel guilty.

I stare at the bright white Bayer logo on the building. Inside waiting for me are the day’s challenges, meetings on top of meetings, projects that need to be done immediately, and problems that need new solutions. Inside there is also a building full of people with their own stories and challenges who trust one another and collaborate and are willing to experiment to find the solutions. That logo blazing in the sun represents the people like me who are willing to take on a little extra crazy in our life to better the health and lives of our customers.

A quick stop for some avocado toast and I’m ready to attack it all.

Crap.

Where’s my phone? Did I mention that happens a lot?

Maybe my colleagues at Bayer can help find a solution to solve that problem, too!