no sympathy here

Here's a situation for you to imagine yourself in. (This is all totally fictional. Of course!)

You have a day at work where you suddenly realize that all the "talk" about how you are expected to be the leader of your research effort since the original (and very smart and successful) leader has moved on is NOT just talk. You realize in several different ways (which each involve some serious thought and preparation) that the buck stops with you and that whining really only gets in the way of getting the job done. You are exhausted from several weeks of single-parenting because DH has been up in the great white north dancing around in blizzards. (And yes I know that I am really totally wimpy because so many awesome moms that I know are single parents and do this ALL THE TIME. It's just that I am not used to it so being tossed into the fire is burning me.) Um. I mean, in this completely imagined situation, IF this were perchance me...I would be burned.

Your mind is incapable of keeping track of all the things you are in charge of anymore. You have a big science team meeting all week long and you are more than slightly nervous about the fact that you are the go-to person now for your modeling group. A long week of talks and presentations and discussions and working groups is looming (as in tomorrow) fat in the realization that you can't hide in the shadows of WONDERBOY anymore.

Your DH calls to tell you that he will possibly go back up to the great white north blizzard area next week.

You dissolve into tears...in front of your beloved neighbors because your dog escaped the house and you can't catch her. You are found sobbing behind the frying pan as you desperately try to make Salisbury Steak and green beans for dinner because you are supposed to be PERFECT and be able to have it all with no effort at all.

So there's the situation. Here's this fictional mom trying to do too much, to have it all, to be everything. You know what the next step is?

She's nominated for PTA President next year!!!!! Woo-hoo!!! What a great idea!!

Everyone, just pack up all your problems and mail them to me. Apparently, I have such an insanely inflated view of myself that I think I can do it all. Even *I* have no room for feeling sorry for myself. If I'm going to put myself out there in these ridiculous situations, I have to develop the means to handle it. I've got to shut up and just do it.

......whatever.......

For what it's worth, DH was astute enough to figure out that next week was probably a tad too early to head back to South Dakota, so he was able to delay it by a week. He's a smart man, what can I say.