Alone Time … What’s That? {I Just Want To Pee Alone}

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.

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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

alone time featuredOne 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.

What do you miss doing alone? What will you miss as your kids grow?

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