How many times do we say that?  “Yes, dear,” when asked to add something to our already overloaded plate.

I was taking a brief break today and thought about how many times I’m asked by my “dear” to do something related to “keeping the home fires burning” when I’m already overloaded with my work!  It seems because I work from home and he doesn’t have a clue what I do or where we’re headed; I’m supposed to do all I used to do when I didn’t have anything else to do (was there ever such a time for us?).

Do you ever experience the same challenge from your “dear”?  Does he want you to do the things you’ve always done with regard to “household management” before you launched a business; advanced in your career or moved from ‘home manager’ back into the market place?

It’s as if it doesn’t phase them that we are now in the 2nd half of the journey and transitioning into new, exciting things we’ve always wanted to do.  And it takes time - precious time.  Energy & focus.  Having to drop our focus in a split second to tend to some mundane home management issue can be a drain - right?

It’s not that they (our “dears”) don’t know we are developing, growing, movin’ & shaken’.  It’s just that their priorities seem to be higher than ours.  What if we called them in the middle of an important task and said, “who do I call at the bank to blah, blah, blah?”  Or “can you call the roof repair folks and see why they haven’t been to fix the leaky roof”?

Oh, I want to shout at the voice on the other end of the line with “DO IT YOURSELF!”  How many times in the past have I heard those words when I interrupted an important ‘man’s job’ activity with what he considered a “trivial matter!”

Funny, how it isn’t so trivial when the shoe is on the other foot.

Now don’t get me wrong.  My “dear” is very supportive and prays daily that we make some money before long (know the feeling?); but I think his expectations are that I can do it while not giving up a formerly-held home management job. 

Here’s the riotous thing!  One day when I exploded out of frustration and sheer exhaustion; he countered with the highest compliment you can imagine.  “But, dear, you can do almost anything with one hand tied behind your back!”

Yea, sure!  And the moon is made of green cheese - right?

But let’s admit it.  Somewhere in the depths of a man’s soul, he really believes us ’gals’ can do almost anything with one hand tied behind our back.

I’ve got the best solution I think for this 2nd half of the journey challenge.  Listen, make notes, set notes aside for later and then simply answer. . .

“Yes, dear!”

Have an awesome day with only a few requests from your “dear” asking you to do something with one hand tied behind your back!

Linda, a fellow journeyer