usually the middle of winter when she wants to wear leopard tank top, and her teachers will ask me again why sheâs not wearing clothes. My answer? I donât have a good one. I just pick my battles. Iâm going to spend most of my day fighting with Jerk Lawyer and trying to calm down Crazy Client, so I really donât want to have a fight over leopard tank top.
Unfortunately Iâm not very spiritual in the morning. Itâs not that I havenât tried. Iâve set my alarm, bought devotionals, and even taken early showers. Nothing seems to work. Iâve heard lots of sermons about the importance of âquiet timeâ in the morning. I canât argue with the concept. It makes perfect sense: Start your day out right, spend time in meditation and prayer, and order your priorities. I even heard a pastor say that he has yet to meet a âserious Christianâ who doesnât spend at least an hour in study and prayer every morning. Obviously I need to get with the program. But by the time Iâve gotten myself and the kids out the door, Iâve forgotten to pray. Besides, itâs time for me to change from Devoted Mommy into Lady Lawyer. Lady Lawyer is too busy to pray.
The Commute
I have always had a short commute. During my first five years of practice, we lived in the city. Even after having Nick, I was bound and determined: I would not flee to the suburbs. I would be an urban mother with urban children. Then, when Nick turned one, both of our neighbors were robbed at gunpoint and I forgot my urban ideals. We ran to the oldest and stodgiest suburb we could find and never looked back. The good news is that even on a heavy traffic day, my commute is still only twenty minutes.
A short commute certainly has benefits. I spend less time in the car and get to see more of my kids. But a short commute also has its challenges. Itâs short. Sometimes, too short. Every New Yearâs Eve, I resolve that Iâm going to use my commute for prayer and quiet time. But by the time I check my voice mail and return a few calls, my commute is over. Lady Lawyer is in full gear.
My car has turned into my second office. When Nick turned five, he went to Safety Town and learned a bunch of things about safety, including what your parents should and shouldnât do while driving a car. The result? âMom, you really shouldnât be talking on your cell phone while youâre driving. Itâs dangerous.â And I actually paid for him to go to Safety Town. I wanted him to learn safety, not turn into the family sheriff. Arenât they supposed to learn about bike riding, stranger danger, and poison control at Safety Town? Who inserted the material on parent cell phone use? Not a working mother. At least not one with my kind of job.
For most mothers, multitasking is not optional. Itâs a matter of survival. Asking me not to use my phone on my commute is like asking me not to breathe. I have to make the most of every moment, short or not. Then again, Iâd probably be making the most of every moment if I used my twenty-minute commute just for quiet time and turned off everything else.
Sometimes I ask myself what I would do if I had a long commute. Iâd probably feel guilty for spending more time away from the kids. Iâd probably pray more in the car, but Iâd get home later, be more exhausted, and might even have less patience. For now, Iâll stick with my short commute. Every once in awhile, I just have to remember to turn off my phone and savor a few minutes of solitude. Once I walk into my office, Iâm lucky to have an undisturbed moment in the bathroom.
The Day That Never Ends
One good thing about a busy legal practice is the days go fast. Incredibly fast. By 5:00 p.m. I wonder where the day has gone. I still have calls to return, emails to read, and deadlines to meet. I try to turn my laptop off and pack my briefcase, but my desk is like a vacuum, pulling me
Unfortunately Iâm not very spiritual in the morning. Itâs not that I havenât tried. Iâve set my alarm, bought devotionals, and even taken early showers. Nothing seems to work. Iâve heard lots of sermons about the importance of âquiet timeâ in the morning. I canât argue with the concept. It makes perfect sense: Start your day out right, spend time in meditation and prayer, and order your priorities. I even heard a pastor say that he has yet to meet a âserious Christianâ who doesnât spend at least an hour in study and prayer every morning. Obviously I need to get with the program. But by the time Iâve gotten myself and the kids out the door, Iâve forgotten to pray. Besides, itâs time for me to change from Devoted Mommy into Lady Lawyer. Lady Lawyer is too busy to pray.
The Commute
I have always had a short commute. During my first five years of practice, we lived in the city. Even after having Nick, I was bound and determined: I would not flee to the suburbs. I would be an urban mother with urban children. Then, when Nick turned one, both of our neighbors were robbed at gunpoint and I forgot my urban ideals. We ran to the oldest and stodgiest suburb we could find and never looked back. The good news is that even on a heavy traffic day, my commute is still only twenty minutes.
A short commute certainly has benefits. I spend less time in the car and get to see more of my kids. But a short commute also has its challenges. Itâs short. Sometimes, too short. Every New Yearâs Eve, I resolve that Iâm going to use my commute for prayer and quiet time. But by the time I check my voice mail and return a few calls, my commute is over. Lady Lawyer is in full gear.
My car has turned into my second office. When Nick turned five, he went to Safety Town and learned a bunch of things about safety, including what your parents should and shouldnât do while driving a car. The result? âMom, you really shouldnât be talking on your cell phone while youâre driving. Itâs dangerous.â And I actually paid for him to go to Safety Town. I wanted him to learn safety, not turn into the family sheriff. Arenât they supposed to learn about bike riding, stranger danger, and poison control at Safety Town? Who inserted the material on parent cell phone use? Not a working mother. At least not one with my kind of job.
For most mothers, multitasking is not optional. Itâs a matter of survival. Asking me not to use my phone on my commute is like asking me not to breathe. I have to make the most of every moment, short or not. Then again, Iâd probably be making the most of every moment if I used my twenty-minute commute just for quiet time and turned off everything else.
Sometimes I ask myself what I would do if I had a long commute. Iâd probably feel guilty for spending more time away from the kids. Iâd probably pray more in the car, but Iâd get home later, be more exhausted, and might even have less patience. For now, Iâll stick with my short commute. Every once in awhile, I just have to remember to turn off my phone and savor a few minutes of solitude. Once I walk into my office, Iâm lucky to have an undisturbed moment in the bathroom.
The Day That Never Ends
One good thing about a busy legal practice is the days go fast. Incredibly fast. By 5:00 p.m. I wonder where the day has gone. I still have calls to return, emails to read, and deadlines to meet. I try to turn my laptop off and pack my briefcase, but my desk is like a vacuum, pulling me
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