I am officially back to work after 12 weeks of maternity leave through FMLA. I was supremely blessed to be able to take this time- my company has a program where others can donate leave and without those gracious donations I could not have done so (gotta get paid, yo).
Everyone treated me like I should be crying the entire week leading up to it.
Some people talk about how they had to go part-time because they couldn't/didn't want to be away from their kid. Some have noted that my husband could get a part-time job, because his FT job isn't a traditional schedule, and that way I could stay home (I don't even know...).
Look, I miss my kid. I do.
But I'm also glad to be back. I like working. I like contributing to my family's financial situation. I like getting out of the house. I like being good at something. I like hearing that I am helpful and professional and an asset to my department. And I talk about that because I don't see the point in focusing on the negative.
What sucks waaaaaay worse than the amount of time I spend away from my daughter is being told how fucking miserable my life must be because I work.
It's like when Brandon was deployed- I didn't need anyone to tell me how shitty it was for my husband to be at war. I was fully fucking aware, trust me.
This is my life.
This is what I (/we) have chosen.
I don't need to hear what you think of it, honestly. Sure a "Hey how is the adjustment to work going?" is fine. But if you are asking ME how I feel, don't follow up with some bullshit about how you would feel. That seems like judgement. Anything more than "Oh I'm glad she likes the baby-sitter" or "Good luck getting used to the new routine" is just not welcome. It's rude. So, shh. Please & thank you.
