Sick day!

This past weekend, Little M had a runny nose and struggled to get a good night's sleep. So, I decided to take a day off work today to keep her home and hopefully prevent things from getting worse. As a working mom, one of my frustrations is how unpredictable work can be with kids falling ill unexpectedly. Just last week, Big Brother A was sick with a viral infection.

As I set my out-of-office notification, I couldn't shake the feeling that my colleagues might view my frequent absences as excuses or see me as unreliable. The guilt is overwhelming at times.

But then I remind myself of what truly matters—my priority is my children. While I might not win "Employee of the Month" or "Mother of the Year," I do my best to balance both roles, knowing that my kids will always come first.

This morning, little M and I spent quality time together reading the same Daniel Tiger book three times, getting excited and clapping at the same parts each time. We tried to clear her congestion with some steam, enjoyed oranges and nuts while listening to rhymes, and played a quick round of Scrabble, Uno, and chess. We even had a silly ghost hunt up and down the stairs before collapsing on the sofa at 10:30 am.

It’s surprising how, by 10:30 am, I felt I had spent more quality time with my 3.5-year-old than I did all weekend. Between running errands and church activities for Mother Mary's feast day, I barely had a moment (or energy) to sit and connect with the kids.

So maybe Little M’s Monday morning illness wasn’t such a bad thing after all! I am choosing to count my blessings today.