My Kitchen Light Has Been Hanging From the Ceiling for Six Weeks
And I almost ran out of gas last week.
Last week I let my gas tank get so empty that I almost couldn’t even make it to the gas station. And it wasn’t because I couldn’t afford the gas. And it wasn’t because I couldn’t make the time to get the gas. It wasn’t even because my husband usually fills my car for me and I love that for me. I think it was because I just have so much on my plate right now that when I did have the extra few minutes to go get gas… I really just didn’t want to.
Six weeks ago our upstairs bathroom sprang a leak under the sink that dripped all the way down to our kitchen. When I came downstairs in the morning, one of our dogs was happily lapping up the water. It had left a big brown stain on our kitchen ceiling and was dripping down to the floor through the light socket.
My husband turned the water off at the source while I mopped up the floor. He called the plumber. I made sure to be home when they came and fixed the sink. I was proud of both of us. No one overreacted. No one got overwhelmed. We both work full time and sometimes it feels like one little mishap can send the entire week off course. Yay us.
But now, it’s six weeks later. The light is still dangling from the socket and the brown water mark is still on the ceiling. And I hate that. Our kitchen is one of my favorite places to be, and the light hangs down and mocks me.
It’s a small paint job, we already have the paint, and the light just needs to be popped back in. But we’ve both been super busy at work. Long hours and deadlines. Whether you work at a job that pays you money or you work within the walls of your own home, I know you know what I mean.
And sure, one of us could have skipped our daughter’s XC meet last Saturday and fixed the ceiling instead… but no way.
And maybe he could have fixed it on Sunday, but instead, he was folding laundry, grocery shopping and chauffeuring our middle schooler to and from her friends’ houses. I was in my office, noise-canceling headphones on, locked in to updating my website, working on a looming deadline for a brand partnership, and finalizing holiday gift guides, which somehow come out earlier every year.
I don’t know what the answer to juggling it all is, but… I love my work and love my family. I really like having an orderly home, but I am not going to sacrifice showing up for my kids in the moments that count and the ones that maybe don’t, just to take care of my house.
This part is for paid subscribers. 👇
Not sure if a paid subscription is for you? Use this free seven day trial to pass the paywall and unlock my entire archive. Poke around, I think you’re going to like it here.
Plus, get access to the archive of parenting guidance, including:
I Want My Big Kids to Speak Up in the Group Chat, So I Sat on the Edge of the Sandbox When They Were Little
Subscribe now to unlock this article and join thousands of parents just like you who want real-life ideas for more connection, less chaos, and a childhood that feels like childhood.
