off-balance

All work and no play throws life off balance. The time that I spend on this blog playground gets the pendulum swinging, but sometimes complete disengagement is the only thing that will restore the equilibrium. A respite by the water with friends reminds me how it feels to float instead of paddle.

Leaving home for a spontaneous weekend is easier now that the children are no longer children. As the nest empties, this blog strangely begins to feel like a third child. Though it makes no demands and is content with whatever attention I can give to it, I recognize the need to nurture in order for it to grow and evolve.

When I left for the weekend, this 7-month-old blog had just passed a milestone: the 100,000th page load. It was a bittersweet occasion. As a parent, I celebrated my children’s first steps as a natural progression and an indication that all is right with the world. On the other hand, I recognized that those tiny feet were moving away from me and my sanctum and towards an uncertain world.

I returned home yesterday to find that my husband and I were not the only ones in need of play. My oldest child was playing with friends in Montreal, my youngest child was playing on a Big Stage for the weekend, and my blog-child went playing in cyberspace. 25,000 hits in 48 hours, it had grown large, pixelated feet and went running rampant, Stumbling it’s way around the world.

Today, things are back to normal.
Everyone has returned home safely.
The weekend is played-out.
Work has resumed.
Balance is restored.