Motherly Advice {Risky Business}

I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

~from Invictus by William Earnest Henley

There was a time I took more risks; risks that were trivial. You know, the kind of risk you take when you're 20 and think you know more than you do. For example, I once got into my car the morning after a Texas Panhandle snow storm and headed back to college from my parent's house {because I couldn't wait one more day to see my boyfriend again - you know him as my husband, Will}. I was sure the roads would be clear and I'd be fine. I was wrong; the highway hadn't been plowed at all.

It was just me in my little Pontiac and the truckers. It took me a nerve wracking 4 hours of creeping through the thick snow to get to a point that should have taken only 2 hours; and that was just half way home. I was shaky, exhausted, scared and very focused.

There was no turning around; no alternate route; no pulling over (I couldn't even see where the shoulder was...); and this was in the days before cell phones. No one knew my progress or what conditions I was driving through or where I was.

There have been other risks that I alone or Will and I have taken that in retrospect we realize was just plain stupid. These risks were unnecessary and pointless.

I no longer take risks like that. I'd like to think that's because I'm older and wiser, but mostly it's simply because I'm a mom; and as a mom, I don't think I have the right to take pointless risks. My responsibility is to my children; my family.

Last night, there was a meeting I was planning on attending. There was a snow storm on the way. It wasn't to start until around the time I needed to head that way and the storm reports forecast heavy snow by the time I was heading home. Without traffic or bad weather it takes me 30 to 45 minutes to get there, and the meeting was in an area of the Twin Cities that I am unfamiliar.

There was pressure for me to attend this meeting. I wanted to be there, but not badly enough to take the risk. In the scheme of life this meeting was not important. I opted not to go out into the wind and cold and snow and dark. I could have gone and been fine; or I could have gone and found myself stuck in a very bad situation or worse.

I have the power of making choices that keep me and my family safe. I exercise that power. I have also learned to listen to and trust my gut instinct, and I know that I regret it when I don't. So, I made the safe choice and listened to my gut.

In life, there may be some who don't understand your choices and try to persuade you otherwise, but those people aren't necessarily wiser than you. They simply don't have the same experiences, priorities, or gut instincts as you do. Stand your ground. Do what is right for you.

This was just a meeting, but it could be job, a relationship, a big move, a financial investment, or myriad other things. Listen to your inner voice and be confident in your decision. The only thing you have to lose...is you. Over and out...

Anna

Comments

[Susanna Barbee]

I really enjoyed this post because now that I'm a mom, I feel the same way. When I once would stay out late, walk alone down a dark street, or even text while driving, now I think twice about any of those things and many others.

At the end of the day, as you aptly pointed out, nothing is worth my two sweet boys losing their mommy.