A Mother's Guilt

Balancing Work and Family

By Gwen Morrison

Guilt – it can blindside you anywhere, anyplace, anytime. Whether you are a working mother or a stay-at-home working mother, you are not immune to the powerful feelings of guilt.

It has slithered its way into my life more times than I can count, but just when I thought I had conquered it, there it was again, rearing its ugly head, weakening my defenses and enticing me to question my life. I was not happy about this, not one bit. Here I had been raising my four children for the past 18 years, taking great strides to be there for their every whim – and now, finally it was time for ME.

Having settled into a career at home where I was available for my children but committed to a craft that I love, I thought I had it made. No more feelings of guilt about not bringing in extra money for the family, no more feelings of guilt for not taking some of the burden off my husband – I thought I was home-free. Seemingly, I had the best of both worlds, so what was there to feel guilty about?

It all started when I went to a girlfriend's house, a fellow stay-at-home mom. When I walked into the house, it was warm and cozy. The fireplace mantle was garnished with its seasonal display. You could easily tell that she spent hours getting the house ready for Halloween, taking careful measures to make it just right. On the countertop a fresh batch of muffins were cooling, and I could hear the distant sound of a tumbling dryer. And then it hit me – GUILT!

I say that it hit me, but I suppose it really crept up on

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• Lessons From a Locked Car
• Talk about it!