Privacy. It’s a precious thing that we take for granted. Alone time was plentiful when I was single, often complaining I was bored. I was less alone once married. We went day drinking, saw movies, went to bars, and I was lonely when my husband worked. I made plans every time he worked, fearful of not using up all my free time. I didn’t really know how to spend time alone. Until now. If you had asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day, it would simply have been to pee alone. No audience, just me to urinate by myself with a magazine, possibly pretending to need to be in there longer than truly necessary.
An audience for everything
You can see my daily view in this photo. That’s my youngest, Elijah. He’s a year old, cutting teeth, and simply cannot bare to be unattached to me for 5 minutes. When I took the photo, my four year old was also hollering from the other room, “Mommy, where are you?!” He is currently struggling to be left alone in a room, he must know where I am at all times. He won’t even enter his own room alone. I intended to share the photo with friends – solidarity, people. Until multiples of them, including my mom, encouraged me to post about it. I’m definitely not alone!
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
When I was about two, I became infamous for separation anxiety. My mom recounted a story of how she and my godmother joined a gym and used the daycare available there. My cousin (same age as me) happily ran off to play while I stood at the door and cried hysterically. For an hour. I think that was the last time my mom worked out there. Oopsies. Sorry, mom!
Learning to appreciate alone time
One of our contributors recently went on a work trip alone and detailed how she she spent a day in another city by herself. She said she felt like she had better learned how to enjoy being alone after having children. It’s so true! In the past, I would fill my days with all these things just to avoid being alone all day. Now I cherish every minute of my bath, wine, a book, and dare I say – just going to the bathroom by myself. It’s as if I actually learned how to be my own company.
Loving my little audience
While I have little free time nowadays, what time I do I have make the most of it. But I’m sure in the years to come, I’ll be sitting alone, reading a book, and wishing my boys would call me. So for now, I’ll enjoy the company, in and out of the bathroom.
