Taking Back the Weekends

Ahhh .... I have savored 2 weekends off in a row! It has been a glorious sensation to wake up on a Saturday morning and know that I have the day in its entirety to revel in. And then ... I wake up on Sunday and have one more day!!

I have been working 6 days a week (minus long weekends and vacation time) for almost 9 years now. This past spring/summer has been full of family events that have encouraged me to book those Saturdays off of work so I can be a part of the many events that have been going on. This same time, has been full of change at my 'Saturday job'. Change in policy, products, ownership ... And we have been short staffed, so I have been barely treading water to keep afloat at work.

Then ... I got sick (well, needed recovery time from surgery anyway). And knowing that I had those Saturdays off of work was the best cure of all for me. It has awakened a knowledge in me that 6 days is too much. It is time to make a choice. 5 days of work, whether it is from home or at a full time job, is the direction I need to take right now. I know this.

As this realization hit me, I looked at the frantic pace at the world around us. Family members that are working (between all the family members) 7 days a week. Everyone is going in separate directions. Granted, as kids grow up they are going to go off on their own direction anyway. And I suppose it is a consolation that these kids are headed off to a part time job, verses veering off course with a group of friends that don't enhance 'good choices'. But what has happened to weekends? One day to run your errands and tend to what must be done. A second day to focus on fun, family and relaxation in whatever form that may take?

My health stopped me in my tracks 2 weeks ago. I was so very, very fortunate that it was only a minor ailment that a quick trip to the ER was able to fix. But what about the health of the individuals who are dealing with the daily toll of unrelenting stress? It seems to me, that it must take a physical toll on a person's body when there is little or no reprieve from that stress load. And then when that same person works late and on weekends to try to alleviate the week day stress ... there is simply little time for the body to take time to be kind to itself.

Family time, down time, time to destress. Taking back my weekends defines a better quality of life for me. Even if I must make financial sacrifices, I think that 2 days off to spend as I wish, is something that is good for me ... and those around me.