This last Monday brought my 12-week anniversary of not working. I know it seems a little strange to call it an anniversary -but by definition an anniversary is a “recurrence of a date marking a notable event” (Thanks Merriam-webster dictionary). And thinking over everything that has been and happened in the past – it defiantly was a notable event – at least for me. So, after thinking about it for a little while the thought occurred to me that in my time away from work, I have learned stuff about myself. Not all was new, some just had been put away for so long that they seemed to have been forgotten.

So here are few things I have learned (or re-learned) about myself:

• I love sleep! Where before it seemed to be a waste of time, I now have a renewed affection for it. Probably helps that I am actually sleeping now.
• I need a list to keep track of the date and my to-dos. I have always used a list to help me keep track of what needed to be done, but now I rely on it even more to get stuff done. Since I have more time, I seem to lose time…I don’t know – It’s hard to explain.
• I am enjoying my daughter more – especially with homeschooling.
• I love to read! When I was working, I was reading all day. Op reports, doctor/nurses notes, rad/lab reports. By the time I would get off at the end of the day I was read-out.
• I still don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything done.
• I look back and am amazed at how much I was able to do when I was working.
• I find that I am happier and have more optimism for the future.
• I want to be a better wife and mother.
• I look at being a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) as my job. And I want to do it to the best of my abilities. Sorry I am not a feminist – and that brings me to…
• Trying to make my husband’s life easier. He is the bread winner in our family and works long hours.

If you were ever able to change your situation – what things do you think you would learn about yourself?

–Dawn