Being a Dad In a Time Like No Other
This morning, I drove to Trader Joe’s and Sprouts for a few groceries. Not unlike the rest of America, I could only find half the groceries my wife asked for and had to wait in the checkout line far longer than usual.
But then I drove home to my wife and daughter, at 11:30 am on a weekday. Maggie had just put our daughter in her crib for a nap and was doing focused work on her laptop.
She’s usually working in the office in her non-remote job. I’m usually doing the same, historically speaking; right now, I’m staying home with our precious Evita as I look for work.
I thought Maggie working from home would be easier, because she could help me care for and play with our daughter during times her work is slow.
Wrong. So far, it has actually turned out to be way more difficult, because what two-year-old girl used to not seeing her mommy during the day will be content to mind her own business while Mommy sits at a desk working?
To say that keeping our daughter away from Mommy while she works has been an easy, whine-free experience would definitely be a lie. Especially in our one-bedroom house, where we have to get pretty creative about what an office looks like, much less office space for two people (I do some freelance work, spend time job hunting on my laptop, and read/study for a class I’m taking).
So, no, it hasn’t been easy like I thought and hoped it would be. The first couple days were especially trying — Maggie was trying to focus on work and figuring out how to remote into her office computer, and I was frustrated that I didn’t have the same amount of time to get things done that I usually have, because I spent most of the hours pacifying a little girl who wanted her mommy.
But I wouldn’t trade it. While many might grimace at the idea of being stuck in the house for days at a time with the wife and kids, I’m just soaking it all in. As dads, when will we ever get this kind of opportunity again?
When all is said and done, companies and organizations may be used to a remote workforce and not require a return to the office. But I don’t know that so I won’t plan for it.
That means I ought to and want to enjoy each minute, even the trying ones. I’ve been looking for ways to serve my wife as she works — this morning, I made her eggs the way she likes them, with a sliced avocado and some spinach. And then I made her a latte. And then I came to her desk and took the empty dishes and rinsed them.
Will I get to serve her in this capacity again? Probably, for the next several days and weeks. But there’s no guarantee. So instead of complaining about not getting to be out and see people we’re not related to, or about the grocery stores, or about the humans in them, let’s pause. Let’s use this time to get creative in loving and serving our families.
