I've had a lot of conversations lately that stem from the balance of work and family. Let's face it, any sense of balance is just an illusion. No matter how much or how little you work, it may never seem quite right.
One of my husband's coworkers is currently struggling with her work/family balance. So much so that she's decided to find a different job to find hours that may work better to fit in with her family's needs. Yesterday when I picked Autumn up from school one of the teachers was talking about how she works two jobs and she can't imagine living on just one wage. Another parent said her ideal would be to be a part-time stay-at-home mom. One of the male workers there said he'd like to be a stay-at-home Dad. And, finally, this morning I talked with a male coworker about this illusion of balance. He has a darling little boy who I know he'd love to spend more time with. His wife stays at home, but I know he'd love to sit and watch cartoons or read books instead of coming to work. But somebody has to earn the paycheck.
Unfortunately, we all need money to live. We need it to have a home, to heat our homes and to buy our food. This isn't a utopian society where everything is magically supplied for us.
If I quit my job, I'd always wonder how life would be if I stayed working. As I keep working, some mornings I think how much fun I could have if I just stayed home with Autumn for the day. Where's the happy in-between?
Maybe we've just touched upon the reason people play the lottery -- they're hoping to win the jackpot to reach that in-between.