As my life continues to progress, I find myself adding more and more commitments of my time, talent, and treasure. Well, one of the three at least. Am I spreading myself too thin?
Last night was my son's pack meeting for Cub Scouts. He's just starting out as a Tiger Cub, and the parents acting as their Akelas, or adult guides, run the den as a group. We're all learning as we go, and we are working on sharing the responsibility evenly between families.
However, and this is where I begin my dilemma, the den does need to have a Tiger Cub Den Leader. Since the parent who we were encouraging to step up as Den Leader was absent from the pack meeting due to illness, I was conned convinced into taking the wheel. I don't mind really, I just want to make sure I don't short-change the little guys.
I will have 6, possibly 8, first-graders looking to me to engage them every 2 weeks with discussions about what it means to be a Scout, organize an activity, and arrange for fun outings to earn merit patches. We will continue to rotate the den meeting duties between families, but I know they will be looking to me for ideas.
So... This is a time commitment from me for at least 5 to 6 hours of meetings per month, not including planning, organizing, and special outings.
That time commitment is on top of my participation in our local Kiwanis Club (I'm co-chair of our largest fundraiser of the year - the Bow Wow Pow Wow), Family Faith Formation through our church, Lector for mass at least once or twice a month, and PTA involvement. Somewhere in there my husband would like for me to join him for some golf at least twice a month. Thank God soccer is finished for the season.
Oh, and did I mention that I'm a working mom? On top of my family commitments, I have been working diligently to get my business as a REALTOR going. That means several meetings a month, showing properties to buyers, and now participating in Divorce Planning Seminars.
Do I sound like I'm whining? I don't mean to. I love what I do, and I know I'm making a difference in my own small way. I simply need to add the word "No" into my vocabulary. So please don't ask me to volunteer for anything. My calendar is full, and if I get spread any thinner, I'm afraid I'll disappear.
Comments(2)