Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Infertile? Don't Work At An Art Gallery.

I haven't written much about my job here, mostly because of internet creeps, but also because I somewhat work for the government and I don't think they'd be pleased having their name associated with my lady bits.

For the purpose of this story, I work at an art gallery in small town Mississippi. I've been here about two and a half years and I love most parts of my job. Like any job there are ups and downs, but mostly I'm proud to have found a job that uses my art degree (take that nay-sayers who told me getting a fine art degree would lead me to living in a cardboard box!)

During the summer months, we, like many organizations around town, have summer camps for children. We have two camps, one for the older kids, and one for the younger ones. The older kids I was able to handle with ease, mostly because they're at the stage where they think they know everything and you're just a lame adult that they have to listen to.

However, the little kids, they kill me. While they're not the sweet squishy babies I yearn for, they still make me question what my future life will be like. Will I ever bring my child to a summer camp while also carrying their younger sibling, hair in a messy mom-do, barely making it on time? Will Keegan eventually be that dad rushing in from work, just seconds before the performance starts, slipping quietly into the back row? Will I ever be able to tell my child to "make something pretty!" when I drop them off and see their excited faces when they bound up the stairs at pick up time with their project from the day?

So many of the parents I see dropping off their child seem so rushed, so stressed, so ready to leave their child for the day while they go off to work. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to say that parenting is easy. I'm sure if/when I have a child, I will one day be rushing to drop them off at school, trying to be at my desk before 9:00 hits. I just wish that I could slow them down, tell them how lucky they are and wish that they would stop for just a second and realize what a blessing their paint covered child is.

As I write this at my desk, there is a young girl behind me, lying on a bench from the gallery because her tummy hurts. She's sniffling because she's been crying for her mommy and all I want to do is wrap her up in my arms and tell her that it'll be ok. Her big brown eyes keep stealing glances at me, and I give her a small smile to try and make her feel better. She doesn't know, however, that I'm crying inside, wondering if I'll ever have a little girl like her.

15 comments:

  1. This post hit so many things that I'm going through right now. Thank you for reminding me that what I'm feeling and how I'm reacting to things is normal.

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    1. Thank you for letting me know that there's someone else out there feeling the same things I am. Sometimes I'm afraid to put certain things out there into the blogsphere because I think I'm the only one. It's nice to know that I'm not.

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  2. Oh Aislinn! This post broke my heart in three ways - for you, for that little girl, and I also felt a twinge of conviction. Thank you so much for this priceless reminder.

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    1. Thank you for the sweet words, Em. The little girl was ok, she magically got better as soon as she saw her mom. I think she was just a little homesick ;-)

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  3. Here from Mel's roundup.

    Oh my goodness. That last line has me in tears. Beautiful.

    I love this part - "I just wish that I could slow them down, tell them how lucky they are and wish that they would stop for just a second and realize what a blessing their paint covered child is."

    So many times I have thought this as well. I've wanted to stop haggard looking moms and dads to tell them how lucky they really are, to stop and look at their lives for what it is from my point of view.

    Great post - I'm so glad Mel directed us here! :)

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    1. Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you stick around!

      As much as I want to tell those tired parents how lucky they are, the grass is always greener. I'm sure they'd love to sleep in on the weekends and not have to worry about packing a lunch besides their own. As much as this post was honest, I have to remember that (hopefully) someday I'll be a ragged mom who would love for five minutes to herself.

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  4. Congrats on making the Stirrup Queens Friday Roundup!

    This is a great post! I'm sorry I've missed out on your blog a lot lately. For some reason WordPress doesn't show certain blogs in my Reader (including yours). :( I think it's time for a new blog reader...

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    1. Thank you so much! I was extremely surprised that I was mentioned!

      I've had trouble catching up on blogs too, so don't worry about it. I'm using BlogLovin' which I don't really like all that much, but there doesn't seem to be one reader that has a layout that I like :-(

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  5. I can only imagine how hard that must be for you! I used to work at a daycare but that was in the NTNP days which is a completely different ballgame. Even then it was hard. We had one sibling group whose mom didn't even have a job, she just dropped them off all day so she could go shopping or play tennis or whatever with her friends. Some days I really wanted to shake her and say, "Don't you know how precious your babies are?!" Sending you hugs and the strength to get through the summer. <3

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    1. Thank you so much for the hugs <3

      I used to help my mom out during the summers at her preschool and even though I was no where near ready for kids, it still hurt my heart to see those children who were dropped off just because their parents didn't want to deal with them all day. It also angered me that there were parents who would spend the small amount of income they got on alcohol and getting their nails done instead of on their children...but that's a whole 'nother post.

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  6. This definitely hit home. I'm a nanny so I'm a stand-in mommy five days a week: kiddo stays at my house overnights sometimes, I drop him off and pick him up from preschool, I kiss boo-boos and pack lunches and discipline and ALLLLLL the other stuff, but he's not mine and it breaks my heart to wonder if this is the closest I will get.

    Sorry, made this all about me when I meant I GET IT.

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    1. You, my friend, are stronger than I. I don't think I could basically be a mother to a child that would have to leave me every night. You're an amazing lady for giving that child your love every day.

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  7. What a beautiful post. A post to remind me just how lucky I am now and to take a deep breath and soak it all in. A post which also reminded me of that yearning and aching that seems like it will never end.

    I am wishing you peace and love and a happy ending to your journey very soon.

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  8. Oh Aislinn... I'm so sorry. I know how you feel. xoxo

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  9. I'm a social worker and did home visits with new parents, all the while struggling for years to have my own baby. It was brutal. This is such a beautiful post and I just wanted you to know I'd been here (from the Creme) and read your words.

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